Slayer in Red
by Kitkat5979
Summary: Five years after the fall of Sunnydale a lot has changed. After five years of hell, Buffy is given another mission. In Starling City.
1. Pilot

_Hey everyone - For anyone who's ever asked me for an Arrow crossover here it is. Anyway, this is an early Christmas present and I hope you guys like it as much as I have liked writing it. Let me know what you think pretty please xx  
_ _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Arrow or Buffy no matter how much I wish I did._

* * *

5 years ago – Sunnydale, California

"I want you...to get out of my face." Buffy hisses as she stares up at The First from her place on the ground, she inhales a sharp breath ignoring the pain from her stab wound and forces herself to stand, The First watches horrified as she rises, a look of fear evident in it's face.  
Buffy reaches out her hand and catches the scythe in her grasp as Rona tosses it to her, the blonde then swings the scythe with all her strength knocking down three uber-vamps easily.  
All the slayers in the room rise, taking down the vampires one after the other.  
As they do Buffy begins to think that they may actually be able to do the impossible, they could actually win.

"Buffy!" Spike calls, as he grunts in pain, her head immediately spins around to focus on him.  
"Spike!" she exclaims as she spots him standing in a glowing light, she flinches slightly as light is released from the amulet he was wearing, disintegrating hundreds of the vampires instantly.

Suddenly the cave they were in begins to rumble violently, as the slayers led by Faith begin to make their way to the exit Buffy runs to Spike.  
"I can feel it, Buffy." He tells her as she approaches.  
Buffy just stares confused and exhausted "What?"  
Finally, he looks at her, a look of pure astonishment on his face "My soul. It's really there. Kind of stings."

Buffy watches as the destruction continues around them, once all the other slayers were out Spike turns to her "Go on then."  
Buffy's eyes widen, she shakes her head in a panic, refusing to let him stay here and sacrifice himself "No, you've done enough, you can still-"  
"No." Spike says seriously, cutting her off "You've beat them back, it's for me to do the clean up."  
Buffy turns and watches as the walls around them begin to cave in.  
"Buffy come on!" Faith screams from her place on the stairs, Buffy turns to her but after a moment Faith begins to run up the stairs.

"Got to move lamb, it's fair to say school's out for bloody summer." Spike says with a sweet smirk on his face.  
Buffy shakes her head "Spike!"  
"I mean it." He says as he raises his hands "I got to do this."  
Buffy stares at him for a long moment before placing her hand in his. As their fingers intertwine a strong flame covers their hands, making Buffy wince slightly.  
She ignores the pain and smiles at Spike, after a long pause she finally speaks "I love you."  
Spike smiles for a moment "No you don't. But thanks for saying it."  
Buffy smiles at him once more tears filling her eyes, however, suddenly the cave shakes again causing her to release him.  
"Now go!" He yells.  
After a brief pause, Buffy spares him one last glance before running through the exit.

She runs through Sunnydale High, panicking as she tries to find a way to escape, she quickly runs up the stairs to the roof and begins to jump along the roofs while the building around her begin to fall. She pauses on one roof and watches as the building she was just on begins to crumble, she continues her path and then spots the bright yellow school bus currently speeding away from the destruction.

As she gets closer to the bus she leaps off a nearby roof landing not so gracefully on the hood of the bus.  
From her position on the bus, she watches as the town of Sunnydale collapses in on itself becoming nothing more than a crater.  
Finally, as they pass the town line the bus stops, leaping off it Buffy hugs her sister before stepping towards the crater.

As her friends speak Buffy stands there silently listening to them.  
"Yeah Buffy, what are we gonna do now?" Her sister asks.  
Buffy doesn't respond she merely smiles.

* * *

Present Day – Lian Yu off the North China Sea

Oliver sits on the fishing boat silently as he clutches the blanket around him. When the fisherman hands him some water, he takes it before he looks back at the Island that had been his hell for five years. That part of his journey was over now. It was now time to begin his mission the mission he had been preparing for, for so long.

* * *

East Hampshire, England

 _'_ _Oliver Queen is alive.'_

Giles' head shoots up from his dusty old book at the phrase, he turns his head towards the TV in the corner where his assistant was currently on her lunch break watching the news. It seemed as though every channel on the planet was reporting the same thing.

Giles stands his interest peaked slightly, he remembered the day Oliver Queen had gone missing, it was the same day Sunnydale was destroyed, so many lives had been changed that day. Making his way over to the television he stands and listens.

' _The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago, five years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea, which claimed the Queen's Gambit. Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture of the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly-publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi.'_

Giles continues to watch for another moment before a photo of Robert Queen was brought onto the screen. A sadness fills the Watcher, Robert had been his first ally in the States, a trusted friend of his before he had gained his wealth.

A knock on the door draws his attention away from the TV, removing his glasses he cleans them with the corner of his sweater before heading towards the door.  
As he opens the door there stands Andrew, Giles sighs "Yes, Andrew?"  
"Sorry to disturb you old maestro of knowledge but I thought you'd like to hear some news I just got."  
Giles frowns, but allows Andrew inside his office "What is it?"  
"It has something to do with Starling City."  
Giles's eyes widen, they hadn't had an incident in the States since the wipe out of all vampires three years ago. Giles turns to his assistant "Get Buffy on the phone, Charlotte. Now."

* * *

Chicago, United States

"He's gonna bleed out." Buffy tells her partner as he drives the ambulance as fast as he can through the busy streets towards the hospital.  
"I'm going as fast as I can Summers."  
Buffy sighs and continues to help the 8-year-old boy "He doesn't have time. We've got no airway, I can't crike, he's got SUB-Q, if you don't move it along, he will die in route."  
Peter, Buffy's partner glances back at her from the driver's seat before looking at the young boy in her arms, he then puts his foot on the speed pedal as hard as he can "Hold on."

"Let's go." Peter says as he stops the ambulance.  
Buffy quickly leaps out, opening the doors she grabs onto the gurney and pulls it out the back, while John holds the bag helping pump oxygen into the young boy's body.  
The two quickly wheel the boy in Mercy Hospital emergency room.

As the doctor approaches them Buffy glances at him "8-year-old boy, hit by a car 23 minutes ago. His left lung is collapsed, multiple contusions and fractures on the left side of his body."  
The doctor nods and calls over several other surgeons, they take control over the gurney and wheel the boy into surgery leaving Buffy and Peter in the ER.  
Buffy sighs worried for the small child, sensing her worry, Peter places a hand on her shoulder "You did good, Summers. You probably saved his life."  
"I hope so."

* * *

Starling City, United States

Oliver stares out the window in his hospital room, looking at the city he had once called home, before everything. Before the boat accident, before the Island. He stands perfectly still, like a statue as he stares at Starling.  
"Oliver?" A hesitant voice asks.  
Oliver recognises the voice immediately, his mother. Moira Queen.  
He hears her step further into the room but he stays silent. When she says his name again he slowly turns to face her "Mom."  
He slowly moves towards her, watching as her face fills with emotion "Oh." She gasps "My beautiful boy." She cries before hugging him tightly.

* * *

"Your room is exactly as you left it." Moira tells Oliver as she leads him into the mansion.  
Oliver stares at the place he had grown up in, it was exactly the same, but so different at the same time. After years of not having a home, it was odd to be back in the one he had called home for so long.  
"Oliver." A voice says drawing his attention "It's damn good to see you." The man pauses worried that Oliver didn't remember him "It's Walter. Walter Steele."  
Oliver turns to his mother, confused as to why this man was in his house "You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company."

Oliver doesn't say anything as he spots the maid, he moves towards her and offers her a small smile "It's good to see you, Raisa."  
Raisa smiles "Welcome home, Mr Oliver." She says before glancing over at Moira "My Merlyn called. He wants to join you for dinner."  
Moira grins "Wonderful."  
Oliver's attention is immediately drawn to the teenage girl coming down the stairs, it was his little sister.

As Oliver embraces his sister Raisa turns to Moira "Mrs Queen. A Mr Giles called for you. He asked that you call him in the next few days."  
Moira's eyes widen "Rupert?" It had been so long since she had heard that name.  
"Who?" Oliver asks as he turns to her, still holding Thea.  
"Just an old friend of your father's."

* * *

Chicago

Buffy slips the vest over her head and stares at the blood currently covering it. A young boy's blood. She hated it when it was the young ones. It broke her heart every time seeing a young child bleeding and unable to move.  
She sighs and looks at herself in the mirror, she had scars covering different parts of her body. From bullet wounds to stab wounds, to burn marks on her sides. Even though there were so many she still remembered how she got every single one. She remembered the pain and the blood.

Stretching her arms she looks at the tattoo on her left arm, it was hidden on the inside of her arm so many people didn't know she had it but that tattoo was so important to her. She traces her fingers over the letters for a moment before lowering her arm.  
Stepping out of the rest of her clothes she steps into the shower and watches as the blood is washed away from her and goes down the drain.

After about an hour Buffy climbs out of the shower, she pulls on her dressing gown as she heads into the living room.  
"Geez, you use all the hot water again?" Xander asks from his place on the couch, he pauses the movie he was watching and turns to his best friend, "How was work?"  
Buffy shrugs before flopping on the couch.  
Xander sighs "Another kid huh? How old?"

After a brief pause, Buffy turns to him "8. Just 8 years old and he was hit by a car. He almost died on the way to the hospital. Don't get me wrong I love my job, I worked hard to get where I am but it just sucks when we get those calls."  
Xander wraps an arm around his best friend's shoulder before handing her a beer "Let me ask you something, Buf. If he alive?"  
"Yes."  
Xander smiles "Then you're a hero to that kid, and his parents."  
Buffy smiles slightly "Yeah, I guess."

The two sit in a comfortable silence watching the rest of Die Hard and drinking beer when around 8'oclock Willow walks in through the front door.  
She drops her bag on the ground before flopping down on the couch next to Buffy "I hate my job."  
"No, you don't." Buffy and Xander say in unison, it was the same thing Willow said every night when she came home.  
"Yes, I do." She argues.  
Buffy chuckles as does Xander, but the two stay silent waiting for Willow to go through her normal post-work stages of grief.  
Finally the red head shrugs "Fine, I love it. It feels great to work in the IT department. My boss is just a big dodo head."

* * *

Starling City

"What did I tell ya?" A voice says from behind Oliver. A grin covers his face as he hears his best friend "Yachts suck."  
Oliver turns to face his best friend "Tommy Merlyn." He says as he gives his friend a hug.  
Tommy taps his friend on the back "I've missed you, buddy."

* * *

Chicago

"You're a paramedic, not a nun!" Willow exclaims as she tries to force Buffy to hold still while she did her makeup.  
Buffy rolls her eyes and glances at Xander for help, who merely continues to laugh in amusement, she glares at him "Traitor."  
Buffy turns back to Willow, looking for one last chance out of this "Please, come on. I hate blind dates."  
Willow rolls her eyes "Tough. Buffy, you haven't dated properly since—" Willow cuts herself off not daring to say his name.  
Buffy sighs, "I have, I just I have too much to worry about. From work to night work, not really a whole lot of time for dating."

At that moment Xander's phone begins ringing, assuming it would be the office he answers "Harris."  
Buffy chuckles "So professional."  
Xander glares at her before grabbing a nearby pillow and chucking it at her head, both Willow and Buffy burst out in laughter only for Xander to groan in annoyance "Hey Emily...Yes. Hold on one second." He stands "You two need to grow up." He says before walking out of the room leaving his two roommates giggling.

* * *

Starling City

Oliver tosses and turns on the floor by the window, not noticing the rain streaming onto his face.  
 _"_ _Sara!"_ His mind screams as he relives that horrible moment all over again.  
Suddenly he feels a hand on his shoulder "Oliver. Wake up."  
In his state he doesn't recognise the voice, he only senses danger, grabbing the hand of the person he flips them onto their back and places a hand against their throat ready to strike.  
"Oliver!" Another voice screams, shaking Oliver from his shocked state, his eyes quickly widen as he realises that the threat he had attached was actually his mother. He backs away in horror releasing her "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He says as he crouches away from her and Walter.  
His mother looks at him with such worried eyes "No, no, it's okay Oliver. It's alright sweetheart. You're home. You're home."

* * *

Chicago

After a dreadful date Buffy was heading home, she turns down the next alleyway, going down her normal shortcut, however suddenly someone shoves her up against a metal gate.  
Buffy's head bashes painfully against the metal, "Hey sweetheart, what are you doing out all alone?" A creep in a mask asks her as he holds a blade to her throat.  
Buffy's eyes go dark, any smart person would have run at the look in her eyes, but this man was obviously not too smart.

She headbutts the man in the face, before grabbing the knife off him; she grabs his arm twisting it behind his back, then grabbing the back of his head lifts him off the ground before tossing him into a nearby brick wall.  
"Crazy, bitch." The man mumbles as he groans in agony.  
Buffy just stares at him a pissed off look on her face, she approaches him slowly and places the heel of her shoe on his ankle, after a moment she forces her heel down, the heel goes through his foot and then there is a loud snapping noise.

With a grin, she releases him. As he screams she crouches down in front of him "Crazy yes. Bitch no." She offers him a sweet smile before standing "I find out you went after anyone else, any innocent girl, I will find you, trust me on that. Do you understand?"  
The man just stares at her, Buffy rolls her eyes and yanks the mask from his face before lifting him off the ground with her right hand.  
The man watches horrified as the five foot 3 blonde easily lifts him off the ground, she grabs his knife and drives it through his left hand, pinning it to the wall. "Do you understand!?"  
He gasps in pain breathing frantically as he is overpowered by fear "I understand! I understand!"  
"Good." She says before pushing his head against the wall knocking him unconscious.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Sunnydale

"What do we do now, Buffy?" Dawn asks as they stand on the outskirts of the town that had once been Sunnydale.  
Buffy smiles slightly staying silent as she soaks in their new situation, their home was gone but the world was safe. "I'm kind of up for the whole sleep for a week plan."  
Faith grins "Thank you." She says before glaring at Giles "Don't you make me shove you in there man."  
Giles sighs before turning to Buffy "We cannot stay here."

Buffy nods, it would only be a matter of hours before the authorities got here. A whole town disappearing off the face of the planet, that was sure to be the biggest news of the day.  
"Chicago." Giles tells them "I have a friend there. He can help us."

Buffy nods still staying relatively quiet before she remembers her injury instantly the pain finally hits her.  
She wobbles slightly and Dawn helps her balance "Come on." She says as she drags her elder sister to the school bus.

Once everyone was loaded back in the bus, Giles glances over at Buffy "How are you feeling?"  
Buffy smiles slightly ignoring the searing pain as Xander poured vodka over her sword wound "I feel good. I feel free."  
Giles smiles and places a comforting hand on her shoulder for a moment "Just relax we will be in Chicago soon."  
Buffy smiles and watches as Giles climbs back into the driver's seat, she then looks around at her friends, things were going to be great. She knew it. They had won the battle of a lifetime, and now it was their time.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"This city's gone to crap." Tommy says as he stops the car at a red light.  
Oliver glances around the Glades, his eyes taking in the terrible living conditions people were in.  
"You know, your dad sold his factory just in time." Tommy tells him. "Why'd you wanna drive through this neighbourhood anyway?" He asks as Oliver looks out of the window at the old Queen Consolidated factory, which was now abandoned.  
"No reason."  
Tommy nods not noticing Oliver's odd behaviour "So what'd you miss the most? Steaks at The Palm? Drinks at The Station? Meaningless sex?"  
Oliver looks down and says one simple word "Laurel."  
Tommy sighs, this wasn't going to go down well "Everyone is happy you're alive. You want to see the one person who isn't?"  
Oliver shrugs.

* * *

East Hampshire, England

"Buffy not answering?" Andrew asks as he spots Giles cleaning his glasses for the sixth time that day.  
Giles sighs, placing his glasses back on he takes a sip of his tea "No. Apparently, she's been working double shifts at the hospital."

Giles sighs again as he leans further into his chair, he was proud of Buffy after all she had been through in the past five years, she had worked so hard to become a paramedic so that she could help people in more ways than just killing demons. However, no matter how proud he was her busy schedule was frustrating when he was trying to get a hold of her.  
"No luck with Willow or the Xand-man?" Andrew asks as he attempts to smoke a pipe, only to begin coughing violently.

Giles shakes his head, like Buffy, Willow and Xander were always very busy with their careers. Willow was the head of the I.T department at Argonne National Laboratory, and Xander had started his own construction company while still working part time with the American Watcher's association keeping an eye on some of the girls.  
Giles moves to look at the articles Andrew had brought to him "I just wished they were not so busy. This issue in Starling is only going to get worse, the longer it takes for us to send Buffy in."  
Andrew sighs "Things would be so much easier if—"  
"I know." Giles says cutting him off "But unfortunately Buffy is the only Slayer now. With the others no longer having their powers, she is the only one that can take care of this."

* * *

Starling City

"You went to law school." Oliver says as he walks beside his ex-Laurel Lance. After an awkward pause where she refuses to say anything he continues, "You said you would."  
Laurel who didn't particularly want to be there right now with him nods "Yeah. Everyone's proud."  
When she goes silent again Oliver continues to try and get something out of her "Adam Hunt's a heavy hitter. You sure you want to get in the ring with him."  
Laurel scoffs, he was unbelievable "Five years and you want to talk about Adam Hunt?"  
Oliver looks away from her "No. Not really."  
Laurel, who had yet to look at him stops walking and turns to him "Why are you here, Ollie?"  
Oliver stops in his tracks and turns to face her "To apologise. It was my fault. I wanted to ask you not to blame her."  
Laurel watches him carefully, looking for traces of the boy he had been "For what? Falling under your spell? How could I possibly blame her for doing the same things that I did?"

Oliver freezes momentarily as he watches the emotions flood Laurel's face, he shakes his head "I never—"  
"She was my sister." She says cutting him off "I couldn't be angry because she was dead. I couldn't grieve because I was so angry. That's what happens when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend. We buried an empty coffin because her body was at the bottom of the ocean where you left her. It should have been you."  
Oliver stays quiet as she speaks, his jaw clenched, once she was finished he nods, agreeing with her slightly, it should have been him but it wasn't "I know that it's too late to say this, but I'm sorry."  
"Yeah, I'm sorry too." She says with a glare "I thought you'd rot in a hell a lot longer than five years." She says before walking off.

* * *

Chicago 

After another 12 hour shift, Buffy was in the staff changing room with Peter, who was watching her astonished. As Buffy pulls off her jacket she glances at him an amused look on her face "Okay what? Peter, you've been staring at me for half an hour? You're reaching creep level here."  
Peter shrugs still shocked by the events that occurred earlier "You single-handedly saved three to lives today. If I were you I'd be on cloud 9 right now."  
Buffy sighs before grabbing her spare shirt from her locker "I am."  
"You could have fooled me." Peter watches her carefully "What's going on with you? Come on Buff?"  
Buffy hesitates slightly before slipping off her sweaty shirt and putting on her clean one "I just-it's just...I've watched a lot of people die...and it just gets me thinking...like today if I had been thirty seconds later, those babies they'd be dead. It's just too close."

Peter stands and approaches her placing two hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him "Buffy, you got their faster than anyone, faster than humanly possible. If I was a religious person, I would say you are a miracle worker Miss Summers."  
Buffy shakes her head slightly and backs out of his arms, closing her locker "Yeah, sure a real miracle." She mumbles as she grabs her work gear and heads for the door "I'll catch you later."  
Peter's eyes widen "Wait where are you going?"  
Buffy pauses by the door and shrugs "I got a shift."  
"You just did a double."  
Buffy shrugs, she didn't get the issue, "Jamie's sick. Figured I'd cover for him."  
Peter frowns, she was going to work herself to death "Too late John's already covering." He steps closer to her again taking the bag from her hands and placing it on the couch "Buff, there's a life outside this place. You barely every go home. Come on, me and some of the guys are going out, come with us. We need a pretty girl in the group to keep us sane."

Buffy shakes her head slightly amused, she pulls her hair out of the ponytail and lets her long hair fall down her back, slowly she looks back at Peter "No, I'm just gonna head home. I'll see you tomorrow."  
Peter sighs as he watches Buffy grab her bag before making her way out the door, that girl really needed to get a life.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

"Hold still, Buffy." Xander orders once they had placed her down on the couch at Giles' friend's home.  
"I'm fine." Buffy tries to assure him, with very little success "Go help the others." She tells him only to wince when she tries to sit up.  
Xander rolls his eyes at his best friend "None of the others have major stab wounds."  
Buffy frowns he had told her on the bus that it wasn't that bad "You said it wasn't that bad."  
"I lied."

Buffy rolls her eyes but listens to him and leans back on the couch, as he sews up her wound she looks at him carefully "How are you doing?" She asks hesitantly.  
"I'm fine."  
She sighs pushing him away from her slightly so she could sit up and look him in the eye "Xander. Anya—"  
"Buffy, don't—"  
"I'm sorry." She says simply knowing that he wasn't ready to talk yet, she merely places a hand on his cheek before pulling him to her in a tight embrace.

* * *

Starling City - Present Day

Oliver opens his eyes only to see darkness; it's then that he remembers what happened. Him and Tommy had been attacked. Oliver could feel the light material currently covering his face, blocking out his vision, he could feel the zip cuff restraining his wrists to this weak wooden chair.  
Suddenly the bag is yanked off his face and light fills his vision "Mr Queen!" A man in a red mask holding a taser says as he stands in front of him "Did your father survive that accident?"  
Oliver doesn't answer he merely looks at the man in the mask, before looking around the room, he instantly spots Tommy still unconscious on the floor, next to another masked man.  
"I ask the questions." The man in the mask says drawing back Oliver's attention "You give me the answers."  
Oliver still stays silent his fists clenching just as he is hit with the taser.

Oliver screams in agony before glaring at the man.  
"Did he make it to the Island?" The man asks "Did he tell you anything?"  
Oliver is once again hit with the taser as he refuses to answer, grunting angrily, he pants "Yes—yes he did."  
"What did he tell you, Mr Queen."  
Oliver stays silent for a moment making sure Tommy was out cold before finally looking the man in the mask in the eye "He told me I'm going to kill you."  
The masked men all laugh "You're delusional, you're zip-cuffed to that chair."  
Oliver merely raises his now free hands "Not anymore." He says before grabbing the bottom of the chair and spinning it upwards hitting the man in the face, he then yanks off one of the legs and stabs the other masked man in the chest.

* * *

Chicago

Buffy grabs onto the metal pole to her left and uses it to swing her body around before kicking the blue horned demon in the face.  
As the demon stumbles, Buffy rips the pole from the ground and swings it upwards hitting him harshly in the jaw before hitting him in the gut.  
Throwing the pole to the side Buffy flips over the demon's head landing gracefully behind him, she grabs the back of his head and punches him in the spine, as she watches his legs go limp she grasps his head in her hands and shoves it through the metal pike on the nearby fence.  
As his body goes limp, it slowly dissolves into a dark green liquid.  
"I hate my night job." Buffy mumbles as she heads out of the sewer and back into the busy city before heading towards her apartment.

* * *

Starling City

"So that's your story?" Detective Quentin Lance asks Oliver sceptically as he looks at the sketch the sketch artist had done. "A guy in a green hood flew in and single-handedly took out three armed kidnappers."  
Oliver nods and looks around his living room before turning his attention back to Quentin "I mean who is he? Wh—why—why would he do that?" The detective asks still confused.  
Oliver merely offers him a small smile "I don't know. Find him and you can ask."  
Quinton nods, trying to stay professional even though it was very evident that he hated Oliver's guts. He turns his attention to Tommy "Now, what about you?" He asks as he raises the sketch "You see the hood guy?"  
Tommy thinks for a moment trying to remember "I saw just movement, everything blurry. I was kind of out of it."  
Quinton nods before turning back to Oliver "Funny isn't it. One day back, and already somebody's gunning for you. Aren't you popular."

* * *

Chicago

Buffy was throwing punch after punch at her punching bag when her cell phone begins buzzing, she does a spinning kicks sending the bag flying across the room almost hitting Xander who was sat in the corner playing on his DS "Hey!" He exclaims.  
Buffy's eyes widen in panic and she pulls a face "Sorry!"  
Xander glares at her "You are so lucky I did not fail this level otherwise there would be hell to pay missy." He warns.  
Buffy chuckles in amusement as she moves towards her phone "Oh I'm sure."  
As she picks up her phone she spots the familiar name on the screen, one she hadn't talk to in a while.

"John Diggle, as I live and breathe, and here I thought you forgot about little old me." She says with a true smile on her face.  
John Chuckles _"It's good to hear from you too Summers."  
_ Buffy smiles before moving to sit down on the couch in the corner of the gym "So what can I do for you, my old friend?"  
 _"_ _What makes you think I want something?"  
_ Buffy chuckles, every time he called her he either wanted something or he needed to complain about something "Dig."  
She hears him sigh, making her grin, she was right and from the sound of it, he was calling to complain " _I took another job as a damn bodyguard."  
_ Buffy's eyes widen so much she thought that they might actually pop out of her face, after a brief moment she bursts out laughing "Seriously? What? When? How? For who?"  
 _"_ _I took the job today. And shut it Summers it pays well. It's for some spoiled brat rich kid, that's all I know. Come on laugh it up"  
_ Buffy manages to contain her laughter for a brief moment to speak "I'm sorry. It's just you said after the last time you would never take another bodyguard position. Plus anyway that was normally my job."  
 _"_ _You were not my bodyguard."_ He insists _"Please back in Afghanistan I was the one saving your ass."  
_ "Yeah keep telling yourself that, John."

After a moment Diggle attempts to check in on her like he always did on their calls, he was always protective of her, and he knew she was one to sacrifice her personal life more than she should.  
" _So how you doing Buffy?"  
_ Buffy sighs ' _Here comes the talk'_ she thinks to herself "I'm fine John." When she realises that that was not going to work with him she leans back into the couch "I'm working, a lot. But I still spend a responsible amount time at home, I even went on a date the other night. Happy?"  
 _"_ _For now."_ He says with a chuckle, she could be very evasive when she wanted _"So tell me you're going to at least come visit me in Starling soon. You've been promising for a year Buff."_

Buffy sighs she had been wanting to see him for a while now, he was the closest thing she had to a brother other than Xander and she knew it was the same for him but she just didn't have the time right now "I'll see what I can do." She tells him, not making any promises.  
 _"_ _I'll hold you to that. Gotta go Buff."  
_ "Bye, John." She says before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Xander asks as he makes his way over to Buffy.  
"Dig." She says simply as she stands from her seat, Xander pouts much like a 6-year-old "John Diggle."  
Buffy arches a brow "Xander, why did you say Dig's name like that?"  
"Like what?" He mutters, sounding very much like a five-year-old.  
"Like a spoiled five-year-old whose jealous that the new baby is getting all the attention."  
Xander rolls his eyes "Am not. It's just when you and John speak, it all John this, John that."  
Buffy chuckles in amusement "Xander, I love you all equally."  
Xander glares at her when she says it patronizingly "I get you're war buddies but we are too."  
Buffy merely chuckles "Jealous." She sings, enjoying every moment of this.

* * *

Starling City

After hanging up the phone with Buffy, John pulls his car over in front of the address he had been given. He stares in awe for a second at the mansion before him before climbing out of the car.  
Standing by the entrance with Moira Queen and Walter Steele waiting to greet him "Mr Diggle?" Walter asks as he approaches.  
John nods and shakes the man's hand "Yes, Sir."  
Moira grins "Lovely." She pauses as she spots Oliver exiting the mansion "Oh here he is now." She turns and heads over to her son "Oliver. I want to introduce you to someone—John Diggle." Oliver looks behind her at John "He'll be accompanying you from now on."  
Oliver smiles politely at his mother and Walter "I don't need a babysitter."

Walter nods in slight agreement with Oliver "Darling, Oliver's a grown man, and if he doesn't feel he needs our protection we should try-"  
"No, I understand." Moira says cutting him off before turning back to Oliver, a begging look on her face "But this is something I need."

* * *

After spending days managing to avoid Diggle, Oliver's lair was finally finished, once he had finished making the new arrows he pulls out a large metal box and dumps it on the table. As he opens it he pulls out his old bow. Looking at it for a moment, he then stands, placing the arrows on his back he grabs a few tennis balls and moves towards another portion of the lair.  
Throwing the balls in the air, he hits each and every ball with an arrow, pinning all the balls to the wall.

* * *

Chicago

"Mr Harris." Emily calls as she enters Xander's office.  
Xander, who was currently balancing a tennis ball on his forehead doesn't move, "Emily, I am one minute away from beat my record, come back later."  
Emily sighs, she had an urgent caller on the other line and here her boss was balancing a toy on his forehead "Sir. A Mr Giles has called the office over 45 times in the past few days."  
"What!" Xander exclaims as he sits up, shocked, he then pouts slightly as the ball drops to the ground "Damn it. So close."  
When Emily stares at him unimpressed he lowers his feet from his desk, and clears his throat trying to act serious, 27 and still acting like he was 15 probably not the best idea when you are running a business, he thought.  
"Would you like me to forward the call to you, sir?" She asks.  
"Yes, yes. I mean sure. Absolutely." Xander stutters.  
Emily shakes her head before exiting his office. Xander sighs before picking up his phone "Giles, hey."  
 _"_ _It's about bloody time!"_ Giles exclaims _"I've trying to get a hold of all three of you for days. But nothing. I thought the point of these ridiculous telephones was to make contact easier."  
_ Xander's eyes widen at Giles' tone "Whoa Giles. Look I'm sorry things have been a bit hectic later. What's up?"

* * *

Starling City

Oliver now clad in his green suit and hood grabs Adam Hunt by the collar of his shirt "You're going to transfer $40 million into Starling City Bank account 1141 by 10pm tomorrow night."  
Hunt glares at the man in the hood "Or what?" He challenges, with a slight hint of fear in his voice.  
Oliver glares down at him "Or I'm going to take it. And you won't like how."  
Oliver pushes him away before moving to make his exit however Hunt makes him pause "If I see you again, you're dead." He exclaims.  
Oliver turns to face him and raises his bow and fires an arrow right into the car window by Hunt before disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Chicago

"Come on Buffy." Peter begs as they clock out after another long day.  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement, he never gave up "No."  
Peter sighs "You know I bet you don't even know how to have fun."  
Buffy's eyes widen and she turns to him, an insulted look on her face "I do too know how to have fun."  
When Peter just stares at her unconvinced she tosses a sock at him "It's just my idea of fun does not involve crashing some rich guys party in another city."  
Peter just stares at her, for such a gorgeous woman she could be so clueless sometimes, especially when it came to things like the media "This is Oliver Queen, Buffy. Those parties are never just _any party_. They are legendary."

Buffy frowns in confusion, she didn't recognise the name, maybe she had been out of the loop for a while, after a brief pause she shakes her head "Look, Barney Stinson whoever this Queen guy is I'm sure his parties are just fine but I have other things to do."  
Buffy sighs as she spots a text from Xander telling her they had an emergency, with a groan she grabs her bag and gives Peter a kiss on the cheek before heading for the door "Gotta go. Have fun at this Quick guy's party."  
"It's Queen." He says, only to realise that she was already out of the door.

* * *

Starling City

Diggle waits in the back stairway for Oliver, as the billionaire passes him Diggle smirks "Something I can help you with sir."  
Oliver pauses surprised that he had found him that quickly, he turns and smiles "I just wanted a second to myself."  
Diggle smiles as he approaches the young man "I would believe you, Mr Queen if you weren't so full of crap. Party's this way."  
Oliver hesitates before heading towards the stairway, however when he grabs the door handle he pushes it down and the door doesn't open.  
He turns to Diggle with a shrug "Door's locked."  
Dig looks at him unconvinced, he goes to try the handle himself only to have Oliver grab him and pin his arms behind his back before putting him to sleep.

* * *

5 Years Ago - Chicago

Buffy blinks slightly as she wakes, her neck ached from sleeping on the lumpy couch, she winces slightly as she sits up. Slowly she raises her vest and stares at the wrapped wound. She lifts herself off of the couch and using the wall for support makes her towards where she guessed the kitchen was.  
"What are you doing out of bed?" Dawn asks as she looks up from her cereal, a worried look on her face.  
Buffy glances at her sister then at the clock, it was three in the morning. "I could say the same to you."  
"Couldn't sleep." Dawn says with a shrug before grabbing a doughnut off the counter and sliding it over to Buffy.  
Buffy smiles and carefully sits down opposite her sister, taking the doughnut gratefully "Thanks."

The two stay in a comfortable silence for a moment before Dawn finally gets the courage to ask a question she had been avoiding.  
"What happened down there, Buffy?"  
Buffy swallows the doughnut which now seemed less sweet, it felt lodged in her throat.

After a moment she sighs "I'm not completely sure but that amulet from Angel, turns out it came with a lot of mojo." Dawn nods as she listens intently, hanging onto Buffy's every word "Anyway, while we were fighting something went through Spike and then there was this light. He killed hundreds of them in seconds and before we knew what was happening the cave was collapsing on itself." Buffy pauses trying to bury the emotions inside "Umm...the necklace, the power it had was killing him. But he wouldn't go. He said he wanted to see how it ended."  
Dawn nods saddened by the death of their old friend "He died a hero."  
Buffy chuckles at the irony of it "Who would've thought."  
Dawn smiles at her sister for a second before asking her final question "So what do you want to do next, Buffy?"  
Buffy thinks for a long moment, she had honestly never thought about it, at least not recently, she just hadn't been able to imagine a life outside of being the Slayer and Sunnydale "I guess I've got to have a talk with Giles. Cause I think you and me need a vacation."

* * *

Chicago - Present Day

"Okay, you text me saying 911, what's up?" Buffy asks as she rushes into the apartment, she freezes however as she spots most of their things in boxes.  
Willow and Xander both freeze and stop packing to turn to Buffy.  
Buffy frowns in confusion, what was happening "Guys, what's going on?"  
Xander places down the book in his hand and turns to Buffy looking at her seriously "Giles called me today."  
Buffy's eyes widen they hadn't heard from her old watcher in months, other than short emails and catch up calls, but from the look on Xander's face, it was clear that it was neither of those things.  
"Buffy, a group of demons has been masquerading as humans in Starling City, they've killed hundreds of people in the Glades and..."  
Buffy swallows the lump in her throat "They need me to go."  
Xander nods hesitatingly.

Willow looks at her friend sadly, Buffy had actually been happy being back in Chicago after all the loss and pain of the past five years, Chicago had been good for her. Now she had to give it all up.  
"It's not too bad, Buff." Willow tries "The council's paying for some swifty new apartment plus you can transfer the Starling City Hospital, and I got a job at Queen Consolidated after we've dealt with the demons we can always come back."  
Buffy hesitates, she takes a deep breath and forces a smile on her face "Looks like I better give Dig a call."

* * *

Starling City

"The police failed to identify the man I hired to kidnap Oliver." A man in a black leather jacket says as he steps down the stairs towards his boss "And they never will. Should we arrange another abduction?"  
"No." Moira says as she turns away from him "There are other ways of finding out what my son knows."  
At that moment Moira's phone rings "Hello?"  
" _Moira? It's Rupert."  
_ Moira looks at her contact and waves him off before turning her attention back to the phone "Rupert it's been a while."  
" _Years. Indeed. I just wanted to say I'm happy that you have your son back."  
_ Moira sighs "Yes, it's wonderful. Thank you. But I know you Rupert what else are calling about?"  
Giles sighs, _"I have an associate coming to Starling City, I'd appreciate it if he could be the liaison between our companies."  
_ Moira thinks for a moment The Council of Watcher's whatever they did had money more than the Queens, it was a good relationship to keep "Of course. Who is this associate?"  
 _"_ _His name is Alexander Harris."_


	2. Honor Thy Father

Oliver quickly beats all the guards to a pulp knocking them down easily one by one before making his way towards his target.  
"Marcus Redman, you have failed this city." He hisses as he holds Marcus' head right above a speeding fan, threatening to push him towards it.  
"Please don't!" Marcus begs fear evident in his shaky voice.  
Oliver merely stays focused on his mission "Cell phone, inside pocket." He orders "Call your partner. Tell him to give those pensioners back their money!"  
As he shoves Marcus' head closer and closer towards the fan he practically cries as he begs for his life "Please don't!"  
"Do it now." Oliver orders before leaping off Redman and making his way off the roof.

As he climbs something catches his eyes a blonde figure climbing out of a car. She was too far away for him to say her face clearly and the baseball cap she was pulling out of her bag wasn't going to help matters.  
Oliver frowns and looks down at his watch. It was 1'oclcok in the morning and they were in the Glades. This woman must be really clueless, to wander around in this neighbourhood at this time of night.

* * *

Buffy sighs in annoyance as she leaves the hospital. It was one in the morning and Starling General had decided that having her cover for someone at the hospital in the Glades on her first night of work was a brilliant idea.  
Thankfully it was finally over. After a gruelling 16-hour shift, she was exhausted and very much looking forward to good night's rest.  
She grabs her baseball cap from her bag and places it on her head. As she does she pauses as she hears two sets of footsteps approaching. The blonde immediately sighs "It's late. I'm tired. And I wanna go home. So let's just get this over with."  
Buffy turns to face the two men currently approaching her, one middle aged and one who looked no older than herself. She looks at them unimpressed, before rolling her eyes at the knives in their hands.

"I take it you're new around here sweetheart." The elder one with the greying hair says as he looks her up and down with a look of approval.  
Buffy gags slightly before smiling "Yeah. Is it that obvious? I must stick out like a sore thumb." She pauses and places her bag on the ground "As will you in about thirty seconds from now."

The men frown in confusion before chuckling at the tiny woman "Come on sweet pea don't you wanna have some fun?"  
Buffy smirks "Oh sure. Who wants to go first?"

The elder man swings his fist out towards her face however she quickly side-steps him and ducks underneath his next blow. She then grabs his arm and backhands him across the face, before head butting him. She kicks her leg out kicking the younger man in the chest knocking him down before she wraps the same leg around the elder's shoulder, she forces him down to the ground with her leg.  
"Wanna play now?" She asks before tightening the force around his neck, she watches as he goes blue before eventually passing out.

Tossing him to the ground she turns to the younger man, who was staring at her fearfully "You gonna have a go kid?"  
The kid stares at her fearfully before taking off running.

Buffy watches unimpressed "I guess this was my welcome to town moment huh?" She says before grabbing her bag and heading off towards her car.

As she climbs into her car not once does she notice the man in the green suit watching her from above, an impressed look on his face.

* * *

Oliver stands before the judge at his hearing just praying for this to be over with "There was a storm. The boat went' down. I was the only survivor." Oliver pauses remembering his father pulling out the gun "My father didn't make it. I almost died. I—I thought that I had because I spent so many days on that life raft before I saw the Island. When I reached it, I knew. I knew that I was going to have to live for the both of us. And in those five years, it was that one thought that kept me going."

As Oliver finishes reminiscing about his hell his lawyer stands to face the Judge "Your honour, we move to vitiate the death in absentia filed after Oliver's disappearance aboard The Queen's Gambit five years ago. Unfortunately, we will not be requesting that the declaration of the death filed for petitioner's father, Robert Queen, be rescinded. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle."

* * *

Buffy climbs out of the ambulance and immediately heads towards the back door, as the doctors approach her.  
She pulls the patient out "I got a police officer, a bullet wound to the gut, his left lung is haemorrhaging, airway's blocked, I did a crike on route. Three fractures on the left leg. The bullet is still lodged in his lung, it shifts every time he moves, I couldn't remove it on site."  
The doctor nods and turns to his team "Let's get him up to the ICU and quick. Thanks, Summers."  
Buffy nods and watches as the cop is rolled into the building, at that moment the detective who had been with him at the time climbs out the ambulance "Thank you." He says to Buffy.

Buffy shrugs and closes the doors before turning to her new partner Stewart. Man did she miss Peter.  
"It's no problem."  
The detective offers her a grateful smile "You do your job better than I've seen in a long time. You probably saved his life."

Buffy smiles slightly, she wasn't good at compliments "Again it was no problem Detective..." She freezes having realised that she never got his name.  
"Lance." Quinton finishes for her before shaking her hand.  
"Summers." Buffy says as she gives him a wave before climbing back into the ambulance.

* * *

"I hired you to protect my son." Moira tells Diggle as he stands in her living room "Now, I'm not a professional bodyguard, but it seems to me that the first requirement would be managing to stay next to the man you're hired to protect."

Diggle sighs, he was still furious at how Oliver had taken him down, and he wanted answers as to how a billionaire playboy even knew that move, the only other person who had ever been able to do that on him was Buffy, and that girl was an oddball.  
"Will all due respect, ma'am I never had a client that didn't want my protection."

Moira doesn't seem to process this as she walks over to him "I hired you. That makes me the client. Now, where do you think my son is going on these chaperone-less excursions?"  
Diggle shakes his head, he had no idea but he intended to find out "Ma'am I truly do not know."

"And he truly doesn't." A voice says from behind Moira. Moira turns to see her son entering the room "Then perhaps you'd like to share with me, you know, where it is you run off to."  
Oliver scoffs "I've been alone for five years"  
"I know that—"  
Oliver cuts her off giving her a pointed look, making it very obvious "Mum! Alone."  
"I see."

* * *

"So this is your desk." Willow's supervisor at Queen Consolidated says as he leads her through the IT floor "Felicity with help you get set up."  
Willow glares at him as he leaves as she catches him again staring at her ass, "This is why I swing for the other time."

She shakes her head and moves to head into the small office in front of her, "Felicity Smoak?" She asks as she spots the blonde haired woman sat at the desk, her hair tightly wound in a ponytail, glasses sitting on her nose as she chewed a red pen "Yes, Hi, yep, me, that's me."  
Willow smiles slightly, she sounded a lot like she herself used to back in high school "I'm Willow. Willow Rosenberg"  
The pen falls from Felicity's mouth "Oh yeah, I know who you are. Well, I didn't know exactly who you were, but I know of you. You're Miss Rosenberg."  
Willow laughs slightly "Yep, that would be me. So where do I start?"

* * *

"As you can see Oliver we've modernised quite a bit." Walter says as him and Moira lead Oliver through Queen Consolidated.  
Oliver whistles as he looks around, it was so different from the last time he stepped foot here, Oliver notices two girls grinning at him flirtatiously and gives them a smile before chuckling.  
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Moira asks in amusement.  
"Yes, I am." He says as he follows Walter into his father's old office.

As they walk, Walter decides to reminisce "I remember when your father used to bring you here when you were a boy. You always were so excited."  
Oliver nods as he remembers "Dad, let me drink soda in the office."

Walter and Moira move to stand together allowing Oliver to wander around the office, after a moment Walter turns to him "The Queen Consolidated success of late is a result of its targeted diversification. We have been making impressive inroads in cutting-edge fields. Like biotech and clean energy. Plus now that the Watcher's Council of England have partnered with us I'm sure..."

"That's great." Oliver says shortly, cutting Walter off "Excuse me!" He calls to the female assistant sat outside the glass doors of the office "Can I get a—sparkling water or something cold, please?"

The assistant stands however before going to get the water she opens the door her attention on Walter "Mr Steele, Mr. Harris is here."  
Moira's head spins around "Lovely." She says with a fake smile "We will be down soon."

* * *

Xander sits in the waiting room, his foot tapping the ground, he was nervous. Xander groans in annoyance he wasn't supposed to be nervous, Will was here and Buffy was just down the street. But the warning Giles had given him was still there.

' _That woman is a vile creature, Xander. Please, whatever you do never let your guard down around her.'_

Xander's attention was brought back to reality as he watches a dark haired blonde man storm out of the building. However, before he could focus on that a blonde haired woman and a tall man in a suit approach him.  
"Alexander?" The woman asks.

Xander smiles standing slightly, trying to act as professional as possible "Mrs Queen. Mr Steele." He greets shaking both their hands.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

"So where is our happy helper?" Buffy asks as she stands in the doorframe of the small office "You know the man who has offered us asylum."  
Giles looks up from his row of books, a small smile grazes his lips at the sight of the blonde slayer "Out of the country...You're standing. Properly this time."

Buffy waves him off and wobbles slightly into the office, before taking a seat opposite him "You know me, I heal faster than a lizard. Although I can regenerate my limbs, but I am working on that."  
Giles chuckles in amusement before sitting back in his chair, from the look on her face it was clear that there was something that she wanted to discuss.

Buffy sighs when Giles gives her a look, making it clear she would be the one to speak first.  
"So what's the plan? And I swear if you say, Cleveland, I might explode."  
Giles shakes his head "Faith has already volunteered along with several of the other girls to head to Cleveland. The mystic energy will likely go insane now that the Hellmouth in Sunnydale has been destroyed."  
Buffy's eyes widen slightly, she had not been expecting that after a brief moment of silence she looks Giles in the eye "I need a break, Giles."

Giles nods and removes his glasses to look at her seriously "I think you've definitely earned it, however, I would like to ask you to stay...just for a short time to help some of the first girls we find."  
Buffy sighs, knowing he was right, these girls would likely be scared and confused, and she was really the only one who could understand.  
"Two months." She tells him "Then I take my break."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"My mother wants me to join the company." Oliver tells Laurel as he sits on her living room floor a tub of melting Ice cream in his hands. When she arches a brow in astonishment he nods "Yeah, take my rightful place."  
Laurel thinks for a moment trying to imagine it "I can't exactly picture you as the master of the universe."  
Oliver nods glancing away from her "You know, after five years, I have plans. I have things that I have to do. I can't do that if I'm—I don't know, attending board meetings and stockholders briefings."  
Laurel takes another bite of her ice cream and shifts in the couch slightly as she looks at him "Oliver. You're an adult. You can say, no."

Buffy waits outside the burger joint John had asked her to meet him at, she glances up at the sign ' _Big Belly Burger'_ she reads, before her stomach rumbles.  
"Buffy Anne Summers." A voice says from behind her "I take it you can still eat like an NBA player."

Buffy grins slightly, before turning to face her old friend, her smile widens at the sight of him, he hadn't aged a damn day.  
"Hi, Dig." She says before giving him a tight hug where he lifts her off the ground slightly as she is so much smaller than him.

As Dig places her back down on the ground he smiles at the young woman he thought of as a little sister "It's good to see you, Buffy."  
Buffy smiles before rolling her eyes as her stomach rumbles again, she then punches John in the arm "This is what happens when you make me stand in front of food. It's teasing."  
John chuckles in amusement before placing an arm around her shoulder and leading her into the restaurant "Let's get some food in you then, kid."  
"I'm 27, not a kid."

* * *

"So wait he threw an unbalanced knife with perfect accuracy?" Buffy asks astonished as John finishes telling her about his night.  
Buffy sighs "Well you're right, something is not right there. It takes years to learn that kind of skill."  
John nods, it was nice talking to her again, she was one of the few people that knew about his past "He's making my job extremely difficult."  
Buffy nods as she takes another bite of her burger, relishing in the taste of cheese and delicious beef.

"So enough about me, you're a paramedic now? Who would have thought?"  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Shut up. I'm good at it."  
Buffy pauses and glances down at his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody bandage "You worry me, John."

John arches a brow "Really? Buff, you've got more scars than anyone I know, this new one of mine doesn't even catch up close with yours."

The two stay in a comfortable silence as they eat before John looks at her "You moved here at a bad time Buff. Things are really going downhill."  
Buffy arches a brow "Trying to get rid of me Dig?" She teases.  
"No. I love having you around but you brought your roommates, I don't want you or them in danger."

Buffy smiles fondly at her friend however their nice meeting was interrupted as his phone buzzes "Let me guess Quick guy?"  
"Queen. So I gotta go."  
Buffy pouts slightly before giving John one last hug "It's cool my break's over, I better get back to the hospital."

* * *

Oliver sits at his desk, and pulls out his father's notebook, grabbing his pen he crosses another name of the list 'Martin Somers'.  
As he does he remembers back to the island and how he found the book, and the message his father had left for him.

* * *

Buffy places her newspaper down, "A vigilante, what are we in a comic book now?" She asks herself as she leans back on the couch.  
Just as she begins to doze off the front door slams shut and next thing she knew something heavy was dropped on her chest.

"Ow!" Buffy exclaims as she sits up, what had felt like a rock turned out to tonnes of files of paperwork, Buffy frowns in confusion before looking up to see Willow standing over her "What is all this?"  
"That's everything I could dig up on the demons we're looking for. It's time."


	3. Lone Gunmen

"The court says you don't owe your victims anything." Oliver hisses as he stands opposite his next target, "I disagree. James Holder—"  
Oliver is cut off as the sound of a gunshot goes off and blood begins to seep from James before he drops into the pool.

Oliver quickly fires an arrow in the direction of the shooter before ducking behind the bar, he stays down at bullets pass by him destroying glasses and bottles.

When the bullets stop Oliver glances back at his now dead target before looking down at his now bloody arm, where a bullet had grazed him.

* * *

Buffy pulls herself through the window at the warehouse in the Glades, grabbing onto a metal bar above her, she spins herself upwards into a handstand, holding it for a brief second before letting her body fall and flip through the air. She lands gracefully on the upper level in the building.

Looking down through the cracks of the wooden floor she spots a man in a suit working at a computer while two guards stand off to his side.

She sighs before grabbing her mask, placing it on allowing it to cover her mouth and nose, she then grabs the scythe from the holder on her back.

She glances down at the suit Giles has sent her, it was a full body black suit with red on the arms, sides and legs. She had knives along her thighs tucked into the holders and a longer part of material hung in the front and back, sort of reminding her of a ninja's uniform. { /images/BlvSZ9}

Buffy stands, running forwards towards the hole in the ground, she leaps into the hole landing right in the middle of the room between the guards.

She grabs a knife from her thigh and tosses it at one of the guards pinning his hand to the wall, she then swings the scythe at the other guard, hitting him with the blunt end of the axe, knocking him out cold.  
She walks over to the guard currently crying in agony and kicks him in the face, knocking him out as well.

Buffy turns her attention to the man in at the desk who was looking at her fearfully, grabbing the corner of the desk she lifts it and throws it sending it flying across the room, before taking out two knives and pinning the man's hands to his chair.

"Ahhh!" He screams.  
Buffy merely tilts her head and leans into his coat pocket grabbing out a small piece of paper.  
The man stares shocked; there was no way she could have found the list that easily.  
"It crinkles your jacket." She tells him simply before unfolding the paper "Is this all the names?"

When he glares at her refusing to answer she twists the knife in his left hand causing him to cry out in agony "Yes! Yes! That's all of them! I swear!"

Buffy watches him sceptically for a moment before nodding in approval, she reaches into one of her hidden pockets and pulls out a golden dust blowing it onto his face "Night night." She whispers as the man falls asleep not likely to remember anything from tonight.

She tucks the list into her pocket and runs at the wall, pressing her foot on the wall she pushes herself up to grab onto the metal chain in the middle room. She climbs up the chain towards the window and makes her escape.

* * *

Oliver collapses on the ground as the poison from the bullet begins to spread, he quickly makes his way towards the box in the corner as fast as he can. He rips the box open and moves things to the side as he searches for something desperately.

Finally, he pulls out a small herb swallowing it, he quickly grabs his water and downs the herb before lying down on the ground.

After a long moment, he glances at his computer and spots the clock "Damn it."

* * *

Buffy rolls her shoulder as she pulls off her shirt before tossing it in her locker "Evening Summers." Stewart says as he enters the room.

Buffy offers him a small smile as he hands her the paper, she places it on top of her bag and just as she goes to throw on her sweater Stewart spots one of the nasty looking scars on her shoulder blade, it was slightly visible through her vest but luckily most of the scars were hidden "Geez, Summers how'd you manage that?"

Buffy freezes momentarily as she flashes back to that day, her hand hovers the large burnt area of skin "Accidently set off a land mine during my first tour in Afghanistan. Wasn't pretty."

Before Stewart could ask her anything else she pulls her sweater down the rest of the way and grabs her bag and the paper "Thanks for the paper."

As she heads for the door refusing to spare him a glance, then something catches her eye, the murder of James Holder.

Her eyes widen as she reads the article

 _'Bullets laced with curare"_

It's a rare and deadly poison. And the only person she knew with that MO was someone she had unfinished business with "Deadshot"

* * *

"Man, are you sure you wanna do this?" Tommy asks as Oliver leads him and Diggle into the old Queen Factory in the Glades. Although the idea of a nightclub was pretty awesome it could go extremely badly "It's not like you really have any experience in running—well, running anything."

Oliver arches an eyebrow at his friend as he turns to face him, although he couldn't find himself able to argue, what Tommy was saying was at least partially true. This version of him had never had a job let alone run a business.

Tommy sighs trying to think "How about tomorrow night the two of us we go and scope out the competition. There's a new club opening downtown. It's called Poison. Max Fuller owns it."  
Oliver sighs, it had to be someone he had screwed over, the universe most really hate his guts "Max Fuller? I slept with his fiancée."  
Tommy shrugs not seeing the big issue "Before the wedding."  
"It was at the rehearsal dinner."  
"The rehearsal dinner is technically before the wedding." He says as the two of them burst into laughter.

* * *

Buffy was getting ready for work when Willow comes into the kitchen grabbing her mug of coffee.  
Buffy's eyes widen "Hey!"  
"Sorry." Willow mumbled as she hands Buffy back the now empty mug "I have work. My boss is riding me hard to finish this new program design."

Buffy shakes her head before placing a file in front of Willow "I need your hacking abilities."  
Willow arches a brow, as she stares at the file with interest, the word confidential was written over the top "Buffy, this is a military file."  
Buffy hesitates slightly before showing Willow the first page "I know."

Willow's eyes widen "Wait isn't Deadshot the person who..."  
"Killed someone close to me and John, yes." Buffy sighs and refills her mug of coffee "He's in town. I want you to find me his base of operations."

The red head picks up the file and nods at her best friend "Have you told John?"  
"No. Not yet. I want to have a strong lead...I can't give him false hope."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

Buffy raises her knee and uses it to block Faith's, as Faith goes to punch her Buffy ducks under her arm before grabbing it and leaping into a side aerial.

As Buffy's feet hit her in the face Faith stumbles "Okay hold up. That's cheating you were a gymnast."  
Buffy chuckles as she lands on her toes "Sorry."

The two decided wordlessly that it was about time for a break. As the two sit down Faith glanced over at Buffy "Good to see you're finally healed."

Buffy nods hesitating slightly before looking over at her friend "When do you and Kennedy head off for Cleveland?"  
Faith runs a hand through her sweaty hair "As soon as she and red have finished talking."  
"Ahh, the big break up talk."

Buffy takes a deep breath and looks at her old friend "Thank you, Faith."  
"For what?" She asks confused, no one had ever thanked her for no reason.  
Buffy merely smiles "For everything. I'm gonna miss you."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"I apologise." The Russian says as he leads Oliver into the lower area of the warehouse "We meant no disrespect to a captain. Particularly an American one."

Oliver looks around their workshop with interest before stopping in front of a metal table.  
"So how can I be of assistance?" The mobster asks.  
Oliver looks at him seriously "I'm in the Market for a hired gun, someone the organisation has used before. His calling card is a 7.62 millimetre raced with curare."

The Russian looks at Oliver hesitantly "I know no man who uses such tools."  
"But you can find out who does."

The Russian looks away and pours two shots of vodka, one for himself and one for Oliver "First, we will drink to each other's health." He says as hands Oliver a glass "Then I will look into the identity of this man you seek."

* * *

Xander walks into the hospital just as he spots Buffy climbing out of the ambulance which had just pulled into the parking lot.

Buffy pulls the gurney with the screaming pregnant woman right into the E.R "We got a 32 your old pregnant woman. Contusions and possible internal bleeding, fetus' heartbeat is weak, contractions 2 to 3 minutes apart."  
One of the doctors, Dean, runs over "Buffy what the hell happened?"  
"She was pushed down a flight of stairs."

Dean nods and takes control of the gurney before wheeling the woman away.  
Buffy sighs and takes a heavy breath, running her fingers through her hair as she watches the screaming woman get wheeled into the next room.

"Buffy."

Buffy's head spins around only to sigh in relief as she spots Xander, giving him a quick hug she smiles at him "What are you doing here?"  
"Being very much impressed by you, it seems."  
Buffy waves him off as she ties her hair back up in a ponytail "Come on Xand."

He rolls his eyes and looks around quickly, trying to see for somewhere where the two of them could talk in private. When he spots a small office he takes Buffy's hand and pulls her along.

Once the door was shut Buffy looks at him seriously "Xander, what's going on?"  
"Will used the Queen Consolidated computer system to run some of the names of your list but..."

Buffy frowns, this didn't sound like she was going to be happy with the news "But what?"  
"She doesn't have a high enough clearance." Before Buffy has a second to panic a grin covers Xander's face "But lucky for you one of your other BFF's as top level access. Oh, let me think what's his name...?"  
Buffy chuckles slightly "Not funny."

Xander merely grins proud of himself, after a second though he looks at her seriously before pulling a garment bag out of his briefcase.

Buffy arches a brow at the garment bag "I'm not gonna like this am I?"  
"Probably not." He says as he pulls out a black leather dress and hands it to her "Get dressed. The first name is going clubbing tonight."

* * *

Diggle groans in annoyance as they reach the club Poison and immediately he is stopped by the bouncer "I don't see your name on the list."

"Mr Queen." Diggle calls causing both Tommy and Oliver who were inside the club to turn back to him, as they do Tommy spots a very sexy blonde in a tight leather dress walking up behind Diggle "Oh hello."

Before he can get a proper inspection, however, Oliver drags him back into the club leaving Diggle.

"What a douche." A voice says from behind Diggle making a small smile graze his lips, he turns shocked and pleased to see the lovely blonde.

"Buffy. This doesn't seem like your kind of scene."  
"Ditto." Buffy smirks "Let me guess rich douche one and two. You're working."  
"Always."  
Diggle frowns confused as to why she was here "So what are you doing here?"

"Same as you, work." She gives his arm a squeeze before handing the bouncer two fifty-dollar notes, nodding to herself and Diggle.  
The guard smiles "Look at that. You're on the list after all."  
Buffy smirks and heads inside giving Dig a  
quick wave before heading into the busy crowd.

* * *

Buffy reaches for her earpiece as she makes her way through the club "Xander can you hear me?"

 _"_ _Yep. Feeling very much like James Bond right now."_

Buffy chuckles in amusement, as she imagines her friend sat in the van surrounded by spy gear, reenacting scenes from famous spy films.  
"I swear if you say I will find you and Kill you, I will switch this thing off."  
When she hears him sigh sadly she grins successfully.

As she makes her way through the busy club she continues to look around trying to find her target "What's this guys name?"

 _"_ _John Bash. Polgara Demon. Not sure what he looks like now but whoever these guys are, the ones making demons look, human, they must be pretty strong. Considering how butt ass ugly Polgaras are."_

Buffy continues to look around the room, it was then that she spots the 6 foot 6 giant man at the bar "Xander, I think I found him."

* * *

As Oliver and Tommy take a seat in Big Belly Burger Diggle makes his way over to his sister in law "Hey, you."

She turns smiling at him before gesturing to Oliver and Tommy "So sweet of you to adopt two white boys. They need a good role model."  
Diggle chuckles slightly, amused "That's my client, Oliver Queen."

Carly looks over and watches as a bruised Oliver winced while trying to sit down "Looks like you're doing a bang-up job protecting him. Buffy could most probably teach you a thing or two." She looks around for a second "Speaking of the lovely blonde where is she?"

Diggle frowns still slightly confused, Buffy had said she was working but she's a paramedic, being at a club didn't make much sense, unless she was working as a mercenary again. But she had promised him after Bulgaria that she would never get into that world again.

"She's working."  
Carly smiles "Yeah, she told me she was a paramedic now. Who would have thought."

Carly glanced over at Oliver and instantly a look of worry covered her expression "How dangerous is this guy?"  
"You don't need to worry."

Instantly though his words make her worry "Now I'm worried. Or have you forgotten this job got your brother killed? Because, John, I haven't."

* * *

Buffy leads John through the busy crowds at the club and into a private room, "So John right?" She asks flirtatiously, as she puts on her best dumb blonde impression.

The demon grins at her "Yeah."

Buffy leans against the wall letting him approach her and trap her in between himself and the wall, she grins up at him, fluttering her eyelashes "You're showing." She whispers pointing to his left hand where the skin had started to peel.

She lets him digest this before grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back before shoving him against the wall face first.

"Slayer!" He hisses as the skewer drops from his arm, he spins his arm trying to stab her but she grabs his arm, forcing it to stop before backhanding him across the face.

She knees him in the stomach before snapping the skewer in half and stabbing him in the eye with it "Tell me who helped you?!"  
The demon howls in agony but refuses to answer her.  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Fine. Be that way." She says before snapping his neck, allowing his body to drop to the ground.

* * *

The next day Willow was on her computer at Queen Consolidated researching as much as she could about Floyd Lawton or Deadshot. She had spent hours staring at her computer screen that she didn't even notice when someone entered her office.

"Ahh, Felicity Smoke?" A voice asks but Willow doesn't respond.  
Oliver frowns as he stares at the red head "Hello?" He says as he waves a hand in front of her eyes.

Suddenly Willow was shaken out of her crazy research state and gasps "Ahh, don't do that."  
Oliver winces slightly as the red head glares at him "Sorry. I'm looking for Felicity Smoke."  
Willow sighs "She's sick. I'm covering for her today."

Oliver nods, slightly disappointed but hopefully, this woman could help him "I'm Oliver Queen."  
Willow's eyes widen "Oh crap. I wasn't too rude to you, was I? Cause you're sort of my boss. Wel,l not really but you're a Queen and I work at well Queen so sort of. I'm sorry when I work I don't really think there is an outside world." Willow pauses biting her tongue willing herself to shut up "I'm sorry. Is there something you needed help with. I'm tech girl that's me."

Oliver sighs in relief and pulls out the bullet-riddled laptop "I'm having some trouble with my computer and they told me to see Ms. Smoke or Ms Rosenberg."  
Willow raises her hand "Well I'm the Rosenberg half. Willow Rosenberg. That's my name."

She looks down at the laptop as he places it in front of her, she immediately holds back at laugh at his cover up "I was at my coffee shop surfing the web. And I spilt a latte on it."  
Willow arches an eyebrow "Really?"  
"Yeah."  
"Cause these look like bullet holes. And my friend was in the army so trust me I know what they look like."  
Oliver shrugs "My coffee shop is in a bad neighbourhood."

Willow chuckles slightly and looks at him sceptically "You're as bad as Buff."  
"I'm sorry?" He asks confused.  
She waves him off "Don't worry about it."  
Oliver nods "If there is anything that you can salvage from it, I would really appreciate it."  
Willow sighs at that moment her phone rings "Sorry it's my roommate." She grabs the phone and looks at Oliver "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

 _"_ _I'll send over all the information I have Buff."_ Willow tells her quickly, it was clear she was rushing and that made Buffy slightly confused _"I have a client with me. Bye."_

At that Buffy realises that she was not alone "Alright, thanks, Will. Bye."  
As she hangs up she turns to Xander, "Okay that's the Deadshot stuff dealt with today. Now back to the demon stuff."

Xander nods and pulls out the large file and dumps it on the coffee table next to the list Buffy had stolen.  
Buffy grabs her pen and crosses off the John Bash from the list. "That's one."  
Xander frowns at the look of disappointment on her face "I take it you couldn't get any details on who's doing this for them."

Buffy shakes her head, confirming his thoughts as she climbs off the couch and paces the length of the living room "Not yet." At that moment she notices the clock "Crap. I'm late for work."

As she runs to grab her stuff Xander chuckles in amusement and looks down at the newspaper where the sketch of _The Hood_ was on the first page "Hey Buff aren't you worried about this vigilante dude?"  
"Nope!" she calls out before poking her head back into the room "By the way, Xander, you were supposed to start an hour ago."

Xander groans "Crap!" He exclaims and begins to copy the blonde's panicked behaviour.

* * *

Willow continues to search the hard drive for Oliver as he crouches next to her desk. She brings up some of the recovered files and frowns at the sight of blueprints "Look-y blueprints"

Oliver stares at the blueprints, unable to tell what they were for "Do you know what for?"  
"The Exchange Building."  
Oliver shrugs "Never heard of it."  
Willow frowns she wasn't sure either, she quickly searches the web until she finds something "It's where the Unidac Industries auction is scheduled to take place."

When Oliver looks at her really confused, she smirks slightly "You do realise this is your laptop right?"  
"Yes."  
Willow rolls her eyes "Men are just so stupid. Look Mr Steele is trying to buy Unidac."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

Buffy was eating her sandwich when a nervous looking Dawn walks into the kitchen.  
"Hey, Dawnie." Buffy says as she devours another bite.  
Dawn watches her sister slightly disgust but looks at her seriously "Buffy I need to tell you something."  
Buffy pauses "You're pregnant."  
A look of horror crosses Dawn's face "What! No!"

At her reaction, Buffy chuckles "I'm kidding, what's up?" She asks gesturing for her sister to sit.

Dawn takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she prepares to tell her sister something she had been dreading "Okay before the whole First thing I applied to this Journalism Internship program. I just found out that I got it."

Buffy's eyes widen, she had no idea Dawn had applied, let alone that she wanted to get into Journalism, she takes a deep breath, trying to process this bit of information, however, the biggest shock was yet to come.  
"Buffy...the internship...it's in Rome."  
Buffy coughs violently choking on her water slightly "Rome?"

Dawn nods, staying silent, as she allows her sister to go through her normal stages of processing information: freaking out, panic, silence before finally, reluctant acceptance.  
Buffy sighs, she was proud of her sister, but the idea of letting her go off on her own, killed her "That's amazing Dawn."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

Buffy slips on the red silk dress, tucking several knives underneath just out of view.  
"You ready?" Willow asks as she sits next to Xander in the van.

Buffy nods and touches up her lipstick before taking the invitation Willow was handing her "You sure he's here."  
"I'm sure." Willow tells her as she pulls out her laptop, "I wish I could go in and help you."

Buffy sighs and looks back at Willow, "You can't."  
"I know, things are different now but-."

Xander cuts in finishing her sentence like he did quite often when they were kids "We just don't like seeing you go in there alone."

Buffy squeezes both their hands "I'll be fine." She says before slipping in her earpiece and climbing out of the car, heading towards the auction.

* * *

Oliver makes his way through the auction only to be stopped by Detective Lance "Oh, don't you scrub up nice." He says sarcastically.  
Oliver offers him a small smile "Here to support my family."  
Lance nods "Yeah. Me too, God help me."

Oliver watches as Lance looks at him once more with disdain before walking off. Immediately Oliver makes his way over to Diggle "Diggle, got your eyes open?"  
Diggle stares at Oliver annoyed "That's what I'm here for, Sir. That and answering patronising questions."

Oliver sighs not listening to a word Diggle was saying "This guy's out of time, if he's going to do something, it's going to happen before the auction."  
Diggle frowns in confusion "Sir?"  
Oliver panics slightly, he slipped up "I heard the story on the radio."

* * *

"He's running out of time." Buffy whispers as she grabs a glass of wine and makes her way around the auction "I spent enough time learning about Deadshot to know that whatever he's going do, he will do it before the auction."

Buffy sighs, she frowns as she spots John and turns away, he was too close to this, she had made him a promise all those years ago and she intended to keep it, no matter what.

She turns and heads for the bar so she can scan the party "Look at higher levels. Scan the cameras."  
" _On it."_ Willow tells her.  
Buffy continues to look around however suddenly she spots the red spot moving around the room "Willow where is he?"  
 _"_ _Buffy I found him he's in the next building."_

Buffy's eyes widen as she spots the light land on Walter Steele, running forward she tackles Steele to the ground just as the bullet flies right by him.  
"Are you okay?!" Buffy asks as she helps Walter.

Walter looks at the small blonde completely astonished "Yes thank you."  
"Summers!" Detective Lance says as he runs over, Buffy quickly passes Walter over to him "I'm going to help the injured go!"

Lance hesitates before taking Walter, once he was out of sight Buffy runs to the staircase, pulling off the dress where underneath she was wearing her suit, she pulls the mask over her face and leaps up the gap between the stairs pulling herself up faster.

* * *

Oliver makes sure his sister and mother are with Dig before he runs into the staircase just narrowly missing the sight of the woman in black and red. He freezes as he spots a red dress on the ground but ignores it and runs towards the metal bin in the corner, grabbing his gear out of it and speeding up the stairs towards the roof.

* * *

Buffy runs full speed on the roof, leaping off it, she crashes through the window and almost immediately Lawton begins firing at her. Buffy flips out of the way and ducks behind a wall, she grabs one of her knives and throws them at him.

When she hears a grunt of pain, she runs out from behind the pillar grabbing onto the scaffolding next to her using it to swing her body around towards Deadshot. He doesn't have a second to recover from his knife wound as she kicks him square in the chest sending him backwards into a metal pole.

* * *

Diggle after getting Thea and Moira to safety runs up the stairs in the same direction Oliver had gone. He pauses noticing the red dress before continuing, he stops again as he spots the metal bin, he shakes his head and quickly runs up the stairs in search for Oliver

* * *

Buffy grabs Deadshot by the back of his head and throws him, slamming him into a wall of wood. At that moment Buffy's head spins around to watch as another figure comes crashing through the glass window

"Crap." She quickly climbs up the scaffolding hiding from sight. It's then that she sees The Hood attack, Lawton.

Buffy watches them battle, groaning in annoyance at The Hood for showing up now

"I guess you won't be extending me any professional courtesy." Lawton yells at The Hood.  
"We're not in the same line of work."  
Lawton frowns and looks around now noticing that the blonde ninja was gone "Actually I was talking about the girl in red but that applies to you too."

Oliver frowns before remembering the red dress on the ground by the stairs, Oliver ducks again as Lawton fires at him again, he grabs an arrow off his back and quickly moves to fire.

Buffy eyes widen as she hears a grunt of pain, she turns and spots Dig "No."

Before she could do anything she watches as The Hood runs to him and helps him to safety.

Buffy stares worried but waits until they are out of sight before she lowers herself, she steps over to Lawton who had an arrow buried in his eye and glares down at him "If he dies...you're gonna be glad The Hood got to you before I could."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

"Buffy." Giles says, standing from his seat opposite Willow and Xander as the blonde enters the office "We've been waiting for you."

Buffy nods and enters the room, she raises her palm cutting them off before they could speak "I take you guys know about Rome." All three nod so Buffy continues "You want me to come with you to England, to rebuild the council. Don't you?"  
Giles hesitates slightly unsure of what her reaction was going to be "Just for a short time Buffy I understand—"

"I'll do it." She says cutting him off and shocking the others "Not forever. But I need something to do to keep me from stalking my sister. I'll go."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

John groans in pain as he wakes on the hard surface, he coughs slightly before trying to sit up only to see his white shirt was now stained red with blood.  
He coughs again and turns his body to the side in an attempt to stand but he finds himself too weak.

He looks up only to stare in shock as through his blurry vision he spots Oliver wearing a green suit, holding a bow and arrow.

Oliver steps forward as Diggle finally manages to sit up "Hey."


	4. An Innocent Man

"Come on Dig, answer the phone." Buffy mutters as she again hangs up the phone for the tenth time.  
Willow and Xander watch Buffy sadly as they drive back towards the apartment, Buffy takes a shaky breath "What if he's..."  
"Buffy. He'll be fine." Willow assures her.

The blonde sighs again and runs her fingers through her hair: she was panicking; she should have done something, got to him before The Hood did but she didn't. If anything happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

* * *

Oliver hears Diggle wake; he turns his attention away from the computer and stands from his chair "Hey."  
Diggle's eyes widen as he forces himself to sit up, he stares in complete shock and astonishment "Oliver?"  
Oliver merely nods staying relatively quiet, he watches as Diggle stands and continues to stare at him "You're that vigilante."

Oliver nods again only to have Diggle try and attack him, he throws his arm out intent on hitting Oliver only for the billionaire to duck causing Diggle to stumble.  
"Easy, Dig. You were poisoned."  
Diggle doesn't acknowledge his statement he merely runs at him again "Son of a bitch."

Oliver grabs a hold of Diggle pinning his arms behind his back before moving him away and looking at him seriously "I could have taken you anywhere. I could've taken you home. I brought you here."  
Diggle continues to glare at Oliver as he clutches his injured arm "You really did lose your mind on that island."

* * *

"Hello? John?" Buffy asks quickly as she answers her phone closing the front door behind her.  
 _"_ _Yeah, it's me."_ He says weakly.  
Buffy immediately builds with worry, his breathing was shallow and he was grunting in pain in-between breaths.  
"Let me guess you need a medic?"  
John chuckles wincing slightly as he does _"How'd you guess?"_

* * *

Oliver watches as Laurel exits his house, feeling slightly insulted. He groans before turning to face his sister as she enters the room "That was harsh." She says as she places a hand on his shoulder "Are you okay?"  
Oliver nods refusing to speak, making her worry more. Sensing her worry he speaks "Sure. Second time tonight that a friend of mine has taken me to the woodshed. It kind of tires you out. Goodnight."

Oliver moves to head upstairs however what Thea says next makes him pause "Oh, um...the woman that saved Walter did you see her get out? Walter's been wanting to thank her."  
Oliver freezes on the staircase and turns to her "What woman?"  
"Oh, the blonde that pushed him out of the way of the bullet." Oliver's eyes widen he assumed it had been Lance, as it was the detective that had gotten Walter out of the building.

"Who was she?"  
Thea shrugs she wasn't completely sure "Not sure. Lance knew her, said her name was Summers or something weird like that."

* * *

Buffy grabs her med kit out of her car and runs into John's apartment, using her spare key to open the door.  
Immediately she spots John lying on the ground, it was obvious that he had failed at his attempt to get to the couch.  
Buffy sighs, she quickly places her bag down and half drags, half lifts John onto the couch "How you doing, Buddy?"

She asks as she sits him up before grabbing her bag and pulling his shirt over his head. A worried frown crosses her forehead as she sees the two bullet holes, which had just been left "Stupid Hood." She mutters too quiet for him to hear.

"Thanks for coming." Diggle tells her, wincing as she pours the disinfectant on his wound.  
Buffy sighs "I was at the auction John, I panicked when I couldn't get a hold of you."  
John frowns "Buffy, why were you there? This have anything to do with the work you were doing at that club?"

Buffy locks her jaw and grabs the forceps from her bag "Yes. But John, it's over." When she spots the look on his face that she had seen a hundred times before she sighs, trying to reassure him "I'm not a mercenary anymore. I'm just a paramedic. And a damn good one. I just helping out Xander with some work."

She hated lying to him, she tried to do it as little as possible but when things like these came up he worried about her so he asked questions that she just couldn't answer.

Buffy looks at John carefully "This is gonna hurt." She warns him before grabbing the forceps and forcing the bullet wound open. As John cries out in agony Buffy manages to grab the bullet and yanks it out of his shoulder.

Immediately she grabs a herb from her bag and mixes it with the disinfectant before applying it to the wound.  
When John screams she winces "I'm sorry!" She says before beginning to stitch up the wound.

* * *

Oliver walks downstairs the next morning, intent on going to speak to Detective Lance about this mysterious woman. As he walks into the living room he spots his mother sat on the couch reading the morning paper "How did you sleep?" She asks without looking up from her paper.  
"Just fine, thank you." Oliver turns his head to the man in the black suit standing in the corner "We have a visitor."  
"Hm. Mr Diggle's replacement."  
Oliver freezes, his jaw locking "Replacement?"  
"Yes. He tendered his resignation this morning." She says as she finally turns to look at him.  
"Did he say why?"  
"He said he didn't approve of the way you spend your evenings, particularly given that they always begin with you ditching him."

Oliver nods smiling tightly and turns to the new replacement "Hi."  
"Mr Queen." His new bodyguard says as he approaches "Rob Scott. I'll be your new body man."  
As they shake hands Oliver smiles at him tightly "That's a firm grip you got there, Rob."  
Rob grins, a satisfied smile "That's five years SWAT with Monument Point MCU."  
Oliver nods "I feel safer already." He smiles before turning to his mother "Mom."

"Yes, Oliver."  
"Thea mentioned that a woman saved Walter last night."  
Moira smiles "Yes. Walter told me, a young blonde woman, she pushed him out of the way. What a selfless act. I just wish that we had gotten the chance to thank her."  
Oliver nods as he listens "Thea mentioned that Detective Lance knew who she was."  
Moira pulls her attention away from the TV to look at her sure "Why the sudden interest in this mystery woman."

Oliver smiles tightly "Just want to thank her."  
His attention is then quickly drawn to the TV as he hears a name from his list mentioned.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

Buffy sits in the corner of Dawn's room watching the now 18-year-old pack her very few belongings.  
After a long moment of silence, Buffy sighs "You know you can always go next week. I mean why so sudden. Play hard to get. Make them want you more."  
Dawn shakes her head in amusement "As great as your dating tips are in this situation Buffy, I'm going." She stops packing and walks over to her sister hugging her tightly "We talked about this. I'll be fine."

Buffy sighs and hugs her sister back running her hands through her long brunette locks, there was something that just terrified her about letting Dawn go. And that feeling just wouldn't go away.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City 

"What do you want, Queen?" Lance asks irritated as he spots Oliver walk into the station.  
Oliver smiles at the detective acting as though he didn't notice the disdained look on Quinton's face.  
"I need your help."  
Lance chuckles in amusement "Yeah, sure anything you need." He says sarcastically before moving away from Oliver.  
Oliver sighs, he knew this was going to be difficult, but he persists "Wait. Look I just wanna know about the woman that saved Walter."

Lance freezes and turns to face Oliver "Why would you wanna know anything bout that girl?" He asks sceptically.  
Oliver looks at him kindly trying to be as believable as possible "This girl saved Walter. Stopped my mother from losing another husband. I just want to thank her."  
Lance sighs in frustration, he may hate Oliver but he has nothing against Walter, "I don't know a lot about her. Look she's a paramedic at Starling General but sometimes does cover jobs at the hospital in the Glades."  
Oliver smiles in thanks and moves to head for the door however he pauses "Her name?"  
Lance hesitates briefly, he didn't really want to put another girl in the line of Oliver Queen "Summers. Buffy Summers."

* * *

"Come on, you are not dying on me!" Buffy hisses as she continues to keep applying pressure to the wound on the teenager's bloody head wound.

When Stewart pulls over the ambulance Buffy climbs out with the girl, when Dean approaches her she starts filling him in on her injuries "Charlotte Chaise, 16 years old. Single entrance wound to the left fifth intercostal space, no exit wound. She lost vitals in front of us."

Stewart climbs out the ambulance and helps get the gurney off the van "This is the emergency thoracotomy we called about."  
Dean looks at Stewart in shock "You did a thoracotomy in the field."  
"No." Buffy says "I did. I had to crack her chest. Either that or she died. We good?"  
Dean looks at her stunned before an impressed look covers his face and he nods, Stewart and Dean then roll Charlotte into surgery while she closes the van.

Oliver who had been standing opposite the hospital had watched the whole scene, he watched how the doctor who obviously underestimated the small blonde stare at her in shock before nodding and taking the patient inside.

It's then that Oliver sees her face, she was beautiful he could admit that. After a moment he heads over to her "Buffy Summers?"

Buffy locks the doors only to freeze as she hears someone call her name, she turns only to see a tall, muscular dark haired blonde man standing in front of her. Buffy looks up at him "Yeah? That's my name. This week anyway."  
Oliver smiles, an actually honest to god true smile "I'm Oliver Queen."

Buffy frowns again, then remembers he was the client of Diggle's. Buffy sighs "Figured. Your face is plastered everywhere-" Buffy pauses "Well not everywhere you know, TV, magazines and papers, you're face is actually really hard to get away from...I'm insulting you sorry. I'll-just-I have to go."  
Buffy heads into the hospital Oliver following her "Wait!" He calls.

Buffy pauses right outside the staff room and turns to him "Dude no offence you seem nice but you're cutting into my lunch break. I've just done a 17-hour shift I have 8 more hours left... I need this hour. So make it snappy."  
Oliver tries to keep from chuckling at her quick paced sentences "Um...I'm actually here to thank you."  
She arches a brow "A what now?"  
"You saved Walter Steele that night at the auction. He's my stepfather."

Buffy blinks "Oh, yeah that. Look no harm no foul." She had been hoping that no one had seen her, looks like that hope had all been for nothing.  
"Not to Walter." Oliver tells her "Or me. I give it about two more days before Walter tracks you down himself."

Buffy sighs and checks her watch, Diggle was meeting her for lunch any minute now and this playboy just wouldn't go away "Lucky me, looks like I got you instead." She says the amusement no longer evident in her voice, more annoyance than anything.

Buffy sighs "Look Oliver. It was nice of you to come down here, but I don't need thanks, or anything else. I saw someone in trouble, so I helped. Anyone else would have done the same."

She moves to head into the staff room but Oliver grabs her arm, instantly she senses a threat, grabbing his arm she twists it behind his back and shoves him against the wall.

Oliver was so shocked that the small blonde had reacted that way let alone actually been able to do it that he didn't even try and stop her, he does, however, groan in pain slightly.

Buffy's eyes immediately widen in panic "Sorry, sorry! You should never sneak up on a girl like me. We're jumpy."  
Oliver chuckles slightly and touches his now sore arm "It's fine. Really. You have good instincts."  
Buffy smiles sweetly at him "Thanks. Look, Oliver, it was great meeting you but I gotta go. See ya."

Before Oliver could say anything else Buffy had already closed the door in his face. He sighs, there was something very peculiar about that woman.

He turns to head back to the lair to come up with his plan for his next target when he spots Diggle walking into the hospital.  
"Dig."  
Diggle freezes and glares at him "Don't Oliver. Not here. I'm here to get my friend for lunch."  
Oliver frowns and can't help but ask "You don't mean a five foot 3 blonde do you?"

Diggle's face falls and he glares at Oliver, his eyes filling with fury "Stay away from her and me is that understood?"

"Dig? Come on I'm hungry." Buffy says as she comes out of the staff room holding her bag and her baseball cap.  
Diggle glares at Oliver once more before walking with Buffy, she glances over her shoulder "It was nice meeting you Oliver."  
Oliver gives her a wave "You too, Buffy."

She smiles before turning back to Dig and wrapping an arm around his neck, leaping upwards which causes him to laugh as she dangles.

Oliver watches the two of them however his eyes widen as he watches Buffy put on a black baseball cap.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

Buffy pulls over at the airport but doesn't climb out of the car, she sits there frozen to the spot unable to move.  
"Buffy?" Dawn asks worried "Buffy my flights soon, I have to go."

Buffy takes a shaky breath and finally allows the tears to fall "I know it's selfish. But I don't want you to go. I know that this is your dream but..." Buffy finally looks over at her sister who had a very similar look on her face "...You're my kid sister. Mom's gone, dad's gone. You're my world. Just the idea of not having you around 24/7 to drive me nuts terrifies me." She says laughing slightly.  
Dawn smiles slightly as tears stream down her face "Me too. But..."

The two stay silent for a moment before Buffy nods, knowing the end to Dawn's sentence "You have to go. And I need to let you."  
Buffy takes a deep breath and wipes the tears from her cheeks before turning to her sister, pulling out a small box she hands it to her sister.

Dawn frowns in confusion before taking the box, as she opens it immediately her eyes fill with tears. Inside was the last remaining photo of herself, Buffy and their mom.  
Dawn takes a harsh sobbing breath before hugging her sister tightly "I love you."  
Buffy tucks her chin into her sister's shoulder as she hugs her tightly "I love you too, Dawnie."

After a long moment, the two pull apart "No goodbyes." Dawn says before kissing her sister on the cheek.  
Buffy nods in agreement, "No Goodbyes."

With that Buffy squeezes her sister's hand and then watches her as she climbs out of the car and heads into the airport.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver watches as Laurel enters her apartment, panicking as she realises that none of the lights were working. When she turns to face him, gun in her hands, he squeezes the voice adapter in his hands and makes sure his face is completely hidden in the darkness "Hello, Laurel."

Laurel keeps her gun aimed at him.  
When Oliver moves she panics "Don't move!" She orders.  
"I'm not going to hurt you." He tells her as he lowers his bow.

When he steps forward she keeps the gun aimed at him "Stay back. My father's a cop. You're making a huge mistake."  
"I'm not the person you think I am and I need your help." He tells her as he continues to step closer "Peter Declan is going to be executed in 48 hours. I think he's innocent. Declan's wife was going to blow the whistle on Jason Brodeur. Brodeur had her murdered."

Laurel continues to keep the gun aimed at him, trying to keep her hands as steady as possibly even though despite her efforts they were tremoring "There are 1,000 lawyers in Starling City. Why me?"

Finally, he reaches her, placing a hesitant hand on the hilt of her gun he lowers it "We're both trying to help."

* * *

"I found another name on the list." Xander says as he flops next to Buffy on the couch, lifting her feet off the couch and placing them in his lap.  
Buffy just continues to stare at her book "Ah huh." She mumbles, clearly not listening to a word he was saying.  
"Buffy!"  
"I'm fine." She mumbles again clearly not listening to him, Xander sighs and snatches the book from her hands "Hey!" She exclaims as she reaches for it.

She immediately frowns in confusion as she sees Xander "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"  
Xander's eyes widen "Crap. Oh well. I'll tell them I was at a busy meeting."  
Buffy laughs before focusing "So list?"

"Oh, yeah." Xander hands Buffy a sheet of paper "Haklar demon. Posing as a lawyer. His name is Franklin Cooper."  
Buffy sighs before dragging herself off the couch "I better get ready then. Where are we heading?"  
"The docks."

* * *

Diggle turns to see Oliver along with his new bodyguard entering Big Belly, he groans internally, very much annoyed.  
When he comes over he smiles at Carly "Hello Diggle's sister in law Carly. I'm Oliver Queen."  
Carly offers him a tight smile before folding her arms "I know who you are."  
"No, you really don't." Diggle comments.

Carly merely glares at Oliver before walking off allowing the two some time alone.  
Oliver takes a seat opposite Diggle, he gestures to the brace on his arm "I take it someone fixed you up."  
Diggle nods "Yeah. Small blonde."

Oliver smiles slightly before looking at Diggle seriously "I couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of police cars when I got home. I knew you wouldn't drop a dime on me. So have you considered my offer?"

Diggle stares at him sceptically before scoffing at his question "Offer?" He asks in disbelief "That's one hell of a way to put it."  
"It is an offer." Oliver argues "It's a chance to do the kind of good that compelled you to join the military."  
Diggle shakes his head, he found it hard to believe that Oliver actually thought this was going to work "Please. You were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth, Queen. What, you spent five years on an island with no room service, and suddenly you found religion?"

Oliver sighs, everything he was saying was true, yes he had been spoilt, he had never had to work for anything in his life. But one thing Diggle was wrong about was the island. Oliver pulls out his father's notebook placing it in front of Diggle.  
"This was my father's. I found it when I buried him."

They continue to talk Diggle merely listening shocked as Oliver tells him what really happened that night the boat went down. However, the moment that shakes Diggle the most is when Oliver brings up his brother.

"Hey, you leave Andy out of this."  
Oliver merely continues "The bullets were laced with curare—"  
"Floyd Lawton." Diggle says surprising Oliver "I know damn well who killed my brother. Buffy and I spent months trying to track him down. That girl almost destroyed her life trying to help me set my mind at ease. So don't you dare—"  
Oliver despite his shock cut's Diggle off "He was the sniper I stopped."

* * *

Buffy climbs up the fire escape of the small fishing house by the docks silently. As she reaches the glass roof she places her mask over her face before climbing carefully onto one of the glass windows.  
She glances down her eyes scanning for Franklin "Xander? Anything?"

 _"_ _Not yet Buffster."  
_ There is a brief pause and Buffy listens at the tapping of keyboard keys _"Okay he's coming in through the north entrance now."_

Buffy turns her head and there just where Xander had said he would be, stood Franklin, stood behind him was a tall man, a bodyguard most likely.

Buffy was in the middle of creating a game plan when the glass she was lying on beings to crack, her eyes widen "Oh fu—"  
Buffy is cut off as the glass shatters completely and she goes plummeting inside the building landing painfully on the concrete floor right in front of Cooper.

She smiles awkwardly "Hi."

* * *

Willow storms upstairs and despite her best judgment goes straight into Walter's office, resolve face prepared.  
"I've got one question." She says as she pushes open the glass door and strolls right up to his desk "Why am I being fired? You people spent a year trying to get me to leave Argonne and now here I am and you wanna toss me out."

Walter looks up from his file and frowns "Ms Rosenberg isn't it?"  
"Yes. And I'm sorry but Ms Smoke and I are the most valuable members of you technical division. And I am the most valuable person in the applied science field, and that's including my so-called supervisor."  
Walter smiles slightly amused by her outburst "I agree." He says as he places the file on the table "Which is why you're not being fired."  
Willow frowns confused before panicking slightly "I haven't just gotten myself fired with that outburst have I?"  
"No. I want you to look into something for me." He picks up the file he was reading and passes it to her "The variance of $2.6 million on a failed investment from three years ago." As he speaks Willow opens the file, scanning the pages with interest "It was authorised by my wife. I was hoping you could find out some of the details of the transaction for me."  
Willow nods, finally getting his point "You want me to go digging. And not digging like a beach but discrete digging."

When Walter nods she moves to head for the door, however, his words make her pause "Oh, Ms Rosenberg?"  
"Yes?" She asks as she turns back to face him.  
"The system says that your emergency contact is a Buffy Anne Summers."  
Willow frowns confused as to the odd statement and his sudden interest in Buffy "Yeah, she's my roommate. She's a paramedic at Starling City General."  
Walter smiles slightly; glad to know he had indeed found the right woman "Thank her for me. For saving my life."

* * *

"Ow." Buffy moans as she grabs her side. The bodyguard was clearly a bit more than human; by the way he had just tossed her across the room.

Her eyes widen as she spots him raise his foot prepared to crush her skull into the concrete wall. She quickly rolls away pushing herself onto her feet as she does.  
When he turns to face her she swings her leg out only for him to catch it and lift her off the ground and toss her back at the wall.

Buffy groans, this time in annoyance "Okay you wanna play that way. Bring it giant."

She stands, grabbing the scythe from her back, she grabs a knife and tosses it a Cooper pinning his hand to the wall "Stick around."

She twists the scythe in her hand and turns back to the bodyguard "Let's do this."  
She swings the scythe but he catches it and jabs her in the face before backhanding her. Buffy stumbles and before she knows what's happening he has her pinned to the wall again. He wraps a hand around her neck; she glares at him before shoving him back and leaping into a side aerial kicking him in the face, sending him flying.  
She runs at him and knees him in the face before spinning the scythe in her hands and finally bringing it down, burying it in his skull.

As she does the demon inside him shows it's true form before the body disintegrates on itself.  
Buffy smirks to herself before turning to Franklin Cooper, who was growling madly "Oh don't worry you'll be with your buddy soon..." she approaches him carefully "...or you can tell me what I wanna know and I'll let you go."

The demon looks at her sceptically "What do you want?" He hisses.  
"Who gave you this?" She asks tapping at his human looking cheek with the blade of the scythe.  
The demon's eyes widen "I can't they'll kill me."  
"You should learn to be more scared of me right now." She warns as she slices his cheek causing him to cry out.

After a moment when the demon says nothing, she growls, it was becoming clear that whoever these people were they scared a bunch of demons more than she did.  
She rips the blade from his hand and slices his throat watching the blue blood spill from the wound before his body crumbles to the ground.

* * *

"Matt Istook." Oliver says as he watches Matt slowly wake and take in his new surroundings and the fact that he was currently handcuffed to a rail line.

At the sound of Oliver's voice, Matt sits up straight and looks around terrified before his eyes finally land on The Hood "You're him, that hood guy. You're the guy that's been terrorising the city."

"Peter Declan." Oliver continues as though Matt had not spoken "Your lies helped put him on death row. Now either it's time to tell me the truth, or it's time for the 10.15 to Bloodhaven."

As Matt spots the train approaching he quickly begins panicking "Ok, ok. I—Brodeur paid me to—to say that Camille never spoke to me, but I didn't have anything to do with her death." As he hears the train getting closer he panics more and more "Please, please. I'll do anything—uh, uh. You can have the file."  
That peaks Oliver's interest "What file?"  
"Camille gave me a file of evidence against Jason Brodeur."  
"Where is it?!"  
"Let me go and I'll tell you." Matt tries to convince him, hoping and praying that it was enough to get him released.

Matt panics as the Hood walks past him and instantly he catches sight of the train getting closer and closer "Wait, wait, wait, wait, don't go. Uh, it's in my desk. The file. It's in my desk. You can have it. Get me out of here."  
Suddenly an arrow hits the cuff, releasing him, Matt quickly takes the opportunity to leap out of the way just before the train could hit him.

* * *

Five Years Ago - Chicago

"How did the big goodbye go?" Willow asks Buffy as the blonde walks into the living room.

Buffy doesn't say anything she merely grabs the bottle of whisky from the kitchen before moving to sit next to her best friend. Not bothering with a glass she takes a swig, swallowing the harsh liquid.  
"Buffy?" Willow asks, a worried frown on her face.  
Hesitating Buffy places the bottle on the table in front of her, refusing to look at Willow as she speaks "It sucked."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day 

"The company Mrs Queen..." Willow pauses thinking for a moment, she actually wasn't sure if Moira was a Queen or a Steele "...is it Steele. Did she hyphenate?" When Walter gives her an un-amused look she blinks "That's not my business sorry."

Willow sighs before trying to focus on the whole reason she was here, she pulls out the file of all the information she had dug up "Anyway. The company she invested in doesn't exist."  
Walter frowns " I don't understand."  
"There was no investment." She explains "The money was used to set up an offshore LLC called Tempest."  
Walter nods, trying to keep his shock hidden and keep himself composed "I don't recall the name being under the Queen Consolidated Banner."

Willow smiles at him before flipping through the file and placing a sheet of paper in front of him "Because it's not. There's nothing registered with the Secretary of State. No federal tax records, no patent applications filed. But in 2009, Tempest purchased a warehouse in Starling City."  
Walter's interest was peaked he holds out his hand, gesturing to the file.  
Willow slightly impressed with herself smiles before handing him the file.

* * *

"That hurts." Buffy hisses at Xander as he places a bag of frozen peas against her ribs, which were badly bruised.

Xander sighs "Sorry." He says before moving the bag slightly, causing her to wince "You shouldn't keep doing this by yourself, Buff."  
The blonde sighs and lets her head fall back against the couch "We don't have any other option."

Xander frowns, as much as he hated to admit it, they didn't have the resources they use to anymore. Although the council was still there, Buffy was the only Slayer again. Hell, not even Faith had her powers anymore, after what happened in Portland nothing had been the same. Hell after what happened when they all separated after Sunnydale, nothing had been the same.

"Xander?" Buffy says trying to get his attention, he seemed to have zoned out "You throwing a rave in that head of yours?"  
Xander shakes his head and chuckles "Yeah man, it was awesome."  
Buffy smiles and punches Xander on the arm, instantly regretting it as she has to grasp her ribs.

At that moment her phone rings, Xander grabs it "It's someone called Carly."  
Buffy's eyes widen and she quickly sits up "Xander grab the cling film, we're gonna have to wrap me up with that, and just hope all my ribs don't pop out." She says before grabbing the phone "Hi Carly."

* * *

"Enough moping." Carly tells her brother in law as she approaches him.  
Diggle who was currently pretending not to mope glances at her as she sits opposite him. Carly offers him a small smile "You quit, it's done. My advice would be to move on."

"Listen to her, she's smarter than you." A voice says from behind Diggle.  
Diggle chuckles "Smarter than you too."  
"Well, that's obvious." Buffy says with a chuckle before giving Carly a hug.  
Carly grins and turns to Diggle "I called reinforcements."

Carly stands to let Buffy take her seat and gives the blonde a squeeze on the shoulder before heading back to work.  
Buffy waits a moment before turning to Diggle "Oh spill, what's got you all mopy?"  
"I'm not moping?"  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Yeah sure. Now come on. Carly told me you were having some trouble moving on."

Diggle smiles slightly and continues to play with his coffee "If only it was that easy."  
Buffy frowns, she'd known Diggle long enough to know when he wasn't saying something, but she wasn't going to push, she knew he would tell her when he was ready.

"Why isn't it? John, come on, I know you, this isn't the only job you've quit." Buffy pauses slightly "Carly thinks it's easy. Personal security is dangerous, you and I both know that. But there's something you're not saying here."

John looks at her carefully "Does it ever bother you we never got Lawton."  
When Buffy doesn't say anything, as she felt as though the oxygen had been sucked out of her he smiles "You never stopped. I'm not an idiot Buffy. I saw the red dress, hell you became a mercenary to track him down. So I could be there for my family."  
John pauses getting back to his main point "But the thing is, we always said that after coming back from Afghanistan that we hoped we made it a slightly better place. And since I've been home all I do is protect pokes and spoiled one-presenters. I miss feeling like I'm making a difference in the world." He chuckles slightly "Not all of us can be smart enough to become paramedics."

When Buffy rolls her eyes in amusement John's smile widens "So come on Buff? What do I do?"  
Buffy freezes for a moment as she tries to think of the best way to put this "Do what you think is right. Not what other's do. If you believe in it...then... well... it's you-you have a good heart. You'll make the right choice...and if you don't you're stubborn as hell and will convince yourself otherwise."

John chuckles, she always had a way of cheering him up, she smiles back before looking at him, worry evident on her face regarding Lawton "You're not mad?"  
"Nah. I know you. Can't stop you from doing a damn thing when it comes to protecting me. Even though you don't have to."  
Buffy scoffs "Yeah, sure I don't."

* * *

"Load him up." Buffy says as she taps the back of the ambulance. She watches as it drives off before looking around the prison and sighing, saving criminals and murderers...not exactly what she had in mind.

After a moment she picks up her bag and heads over to the brunette woman who looked about her age. "May I?" She asks gesturing to the girl's bleeding lip.  
The brunette shakes her off "I'm fine."  
"It's my job." Buffy tells her, offering her a warm smile, after a moment the girl sighs nodding.

Buffy smiles successful "I'm Buffy by the way." When the girl frowns at her she chuckles "Don't ask. I know it's weird."  
"Laurel." The girl says simply.

Buffy nods "It's nice to meet you, Laurel." She says before checking the girl's bruised neck, she winces slightly at the sight of it "You may have some trouble speaking for the next few days." Buffy reaches into her bag and hands Laurel some cream "It will help with the swelling."  
Laurel smiles gratefully "Thanks."  
"No problem. Trust me I've had one of those. It sucks especially when you're trying to sleep. But you'll be fine."

Buffy turns the girl's head slightly to look at the cut on her lip, she examines it for a moment "You won't need stitches, I've seen worse. Just keep ice on it for an hour or so when you get home. If someone coming to get you?"

"Laurel?!" A voice yells from behind Buffy, immediately Laurel's eyes fill with tears and she runs towards the voice "Dad."

Buffy watches the father and daughter embrace for a moment before grabbing her things, she pauses however as her name is called "Ms Summers?"

Buffy turns to the father only to spot Detective Lance "Detective Lance."  
He smiles at her and squeezes her shoulder gratefully "Thank you for helping my daughter."

Buffy smiles at him then at Laurel "She's a tough one. Didn't need my help." She gives him a wave before throwing her med bag over her shoulder and climbing into the next ambulance, as she closes the door she spots a figure standing on a roof nearby holding a bow.

* * *

Walter approaches the massive warehouse that Willow's research had sent him to. As he approaches the back door he spots the passcode system. He frowns trying to think of the password.

' _Tempest'_ He enters first only to groans in annoyance when it denies the phrase.  
' _Oliver'_ Again the system denies the word.  
He sighs ' _Thea'_ Once again Walter frowns before finally, he tries his last option _'Robert'_

Suddenly there is the click and the door opens for him, he makes his way inside only to freeze as standing before him was the remains of the Queen's bandit.

* * *

"They're going through security footage now." Willow tells Buffy as she types furiously at her keyboard.

Buffy watches the largest screen in Willow's room, the room was filled with computers screen, all filled with algorithms and security footage of local cameras around Starling City.  
"Sorry about this Will." Buffy says as she watches her best friend try and stop Detective Lance from seeing her on the security footage from the auction.  
Willow nods "It's fine Buffy. That's what I'm here for. I'm tech gal."  
"Good cause I am so not."  
Willow chuckles "You and technology still on the outs I see."  
"That damn phone with the butt dialling. I will never trust technology again."

Willow laughs slightly before glancing at the footage from the Starling City police department. She had hacked into their system a few weeks ago to make sure that no one was suspicious about what Buffy, herself and Xander were up to. Luckily they were all too preoccupied with The Hood.

"Okay, they're looking at the footage now." Willow says as she watches Lance pull up the video of the staircase Buffy had gone up to get to the roof during the auction.

Willow pulls up another file from her screen prepares to do her trick "Okay, 3...2...1"  
Her fingers fly across the screen and suddenly instead of seeing Buffy run up the stairs just as she was putting on her mask the screen Lance was watching flashes slightly before returning to normal, just an empty staircase.  
Willow grins to herself before high-fiving Buffy.

Buffy smiles and taps her best friend on the back "Well done, Will." She says before checking her phone "Pizza's here."  
"Whoop." Willow says before switching off her computer not noticing the next portion of the security footage where Oliver appears and follows the blonde into the living room.

* * *

Five Years Ago

Buffy watches from her window as the Slayers all climb into separate cars, heading down their own paths. They were all off to find the others, to help them understand, and hopefully soon bring them to England, where they could be trained.

Buffy sighs, Faith had left early that morning with Kennedy and Robin, Dawn was on her way to Italy and now all the Slayers were gone. This was not exactly what she had imagined would happen.

A knock at the door startles Buffy making her fist clench "Buffy?" She turns only to take a deep breath, as standing there was Giles "Are you ready?"  
Buffy glances back out the window watching the rest of the cars drive off before grabbing her backpack "Let's go."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"You here for the bodyguard position because the new guy just quit?" Oliver jokingly asks as he approaches Diggle, who was currently staring out the window in his living room.  
Diggle turns to him "No I'm not. I'm here about the other position."  
Oliver smirks internally but doesn't reflect any emotion on his face he merely holds out his hand towards Diggle.

Diggle slowly makes his way towards the billionaire "Just to be clear, I'm not signing on to be a sidekick, but you're right." He stops causing Oliver to lower his hand before continuing "Fighting for this city needs to be done and you're going to do this with or without me."  
Oliver nods, confirming his thoughts "Yeah."

"But with me, there'll be fewer casualties, including you."  
Oliver looks at him sceptically, "Diggle, I'm not looking for anybody to save me."  
John shakes his head, shrugging slightly "Maybe not, but you need someone just the same." He says as he steps closer "You are fighting a war, Queen, except you have no idea what war does to you, how it scrapes off little pieces of your soul, and you need someone to remind you, who you are, not this thing you're becoming."

Once he finishes, Diggle takes his hand out of his pocket and holds it out towards Oliver, after a brief pause Oliver takes his hand.

The second the shake is over however policemen begin to flood the house "What the hell is going on?" Oliver asks as he walks into the foyer. As he does Detective Lance approaches him "Oliver Queen, you are under arrest on suspicion of obstruction of justice, aggravated assault—" As Lance continues another detective handcuffs his hands behind his back "—Trespassing, acting as a vigilante—"  
"Are you out of your mind?!" Oliver exclaims as he glares at Lance who merely glares right back before finishing the charges "—and murder."


	5. Damaged

5 Years Ago – Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

Buffy stares out the window of the plane, looking at the clouds surrounding her. She smiles slightly, there was something so calming about the sight, something so pure and untouched. It was simply perfect.

Tearing her eyes away from the sight she turns to look at Xander who was currently snoring and drooling on her shoulder. Shaking her head in amusement an idea pops into her head, it was so childish and she knew that but she wanted just one moment, one moment of pure unadulterated fun.

Drawing a curly moustache and goatee on her friend's face drew a smile to her face and when Willow turned and spotted the new look she covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Buffy smiles, it was a simple moment but it was one that made her feel young again, made her think that her life hadn't been endless parades of war. For that, ruining Xander's face with permanent marker was worth it.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"Buffy, have you seen this?" Willow asks from the kitchen where she was currently sat at the counter eating cereal while watching the news on her iPad.

Buffy who was in a slight rush, she hadn't finished work till late again and had spent most of the night researching the names on her list. Rushing out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in her mouth she walks over to the kitchen sink and spits into it before turning to Willow "What?" She mumbles as she continues to brush her teeth.

Willow swallows another bite of her food before raising the pad towards Buffy "Turns out Oliver Queen is The Hood guy."  
Buffy frowns, placing her toothbrush down she takes the pad from Willow and glances at the news "Huh."  
"Do you think John knows?"  
"Not sure. I'll have to ask him. But right now—" Buffy glances at her watch only to screech "Crap!" She exclaims before stealing the bagel off Willow's plate and running out of the apartment.

* * *

Oliver sits opposite Lance in his interrogating, very easily keeping his emotions under check as the questions begin.

"Have you been arrested before?" Lance asks, holding back the smirk that was threatening to break free, as Oliver chuckles Lance cuts him off "It's ok, I know the answer to that one—plenty of times."  
Oliver merely keeps his hands clasped together and offers the detective a kind smile "Like I said, this is a mistake."  
"As far as I can tell, the only mistake I made was not shooting you down at the docks when I had a chance."

Oliver frowns at that, and tries to appeal to Lance "I am not who you think I am." He tires, but Lance was clearly not buying what he was selling.  
"No." He says sharply "You're exactly who I think you are. You're a dangerous menace who doesn't care about who he hurts, except now you're doing it with bows and arrows, instead of trust funds and yachts."

Oliver doesn't let Lance get to him, no matter how much his words were agonising to hear "Detective, you hate me. I get it. But that doesn't make me a vigilante."

* * *

 _"_ _You're gonna have to be careful now."_ Xander warns Buffy as they speak over the phone.  
Buffy who was currently in the staff room getting coffee chuckles "When am I ever not careful."  
 _"_ _I'm serious Buff."_ Xander warns, he was worried, now that someone had been arrested for The Hood if by any chance someone spotted Buffy out in her gear they would come after her next. There would be no more hiding in the shadows. Their entire mission would be at risk, and she would be sent to prison.

Buffy sighs "Look Xander I get it, now that The Hood is not longer the queen of the paparazzi, we've lost our lady gaga to hide behind. I'll be careful. Just get me the next address."  
Buffy frowns as she hears Xander sigh, it was almost as if she could hear the weight of all this troubling him " _Fine. I'll call you once I have the details."_

Buffy smiles "Thanks." She pauses for a second and realises something, "Xander shouldn't you be at work?"  
Shockingly he answers without the normal 'crap' or 'not again' "Actually yes. I am right now."  
Buffy scoffs in shock "Do you ever actually do any work?"  
"Other than beating my paper football score nah."

Buffy laughs slightly, however, her laughter is brief as the staff room door slams open "Summers!" Stewart exclaims as he pokes his head into the room.  
Buffy groans, she really couldn't stand this guy, she forces a smile on her face before turning to him "Yeah?"  
"Bus crash downtown. We go to go"  
Buffy's eyes widen and she quickly throws her coffee in the trash "Gotta go Xander." She says before hanging up and running out the room towards the car park.

* * *

The judge turns to Oliver, confused by the lack of appearance of an attorney "Where is your attorney, Mr Queen?"  
Oliver doesn't hesitate, this was all apart of his plan "I'm representing myself, Judge."

Everyone in the room turns to stare at Oliver, shocked by his statement, he really was a mad man. The judge merely shakes her head "I'm not sure that's the wildest course, Mr Queen."

Oliver stands and stares at the Judge defiantly "I think it is." He says looking her straight in the eye "I'm innocent."  
The judge clenches her jaw, people like the Queens always pulled this crap, and it was clear from the look on her face that she wasn't pleased "I will consider that your plea."  
Oliver smiles "Thank you." He says before slowly taking his seat.  
The judge nods and moves onto the next line of business "Now as to bail—"

The Prosecution stands "You're honour, Mr Queen's family owns a pair of private jets and while on the subject of their wealth, I would point out that there is virtually no bail amount that that could guarantee his presence at trial."

Suddenly a familiar voice speaks up " So I guess it's a good thing that the people's case is so circumstantial." Laurel Lance says as she enters the trial room. Her heels click along the ground as she makes her way past the crowd including her father and moves to stand by Oliver.

She looks at the judge "Dinah Laurel Lance, Your honour. I'd like to file my appearance on behalf of the defendant." Oliver moves along to the next seat allowing Laurel to place her briefcase on the table, as he does a large smirk covers his face.

"Mr Queen's wealth..." Laurel continues "...should not deprive him of the right to be released on bail while under the presumption of innocence."  
"He is a flight risk." The prosecution argues.

Laurel glanced at her stating her next words as if it were the most obvious thing in the world "Then minimise the risk. The defendant is willing to submit to home confinement and electronic monitoring through the wearing of a UKG-45 administrated ankle device."

As she speaks Oliver's eyes widen, this was not what he had in mind when he asked for Laurel to be his lawyer. This wasn't good at all.

* * *

Buffy raises her Bo-staff, blocking John's as he swings it, she grasps the end of his with her palm and twists it downwards causing John's back to bend at an awkward angle as he bend's with it.

Buffy spins away from Diggle, twirling the Bo-staff in her hands, once she stops she swings it upwards hitting John in the jaw making his head swing upwards. Buffy then runs at John she places her foot on his left knee pushing herself off the ground she wraps her right leg around his neck and leans backward placing the hilt of her Bo-staff on the ground, dragging John backwards she leaps off him using her Bo-staff to spins off him and land on her feet next to it whole John crashes loudly to the ground.

Buffy smirks down at him "Told you should have warn the padding." She says before offering him a hand.

John chuckles in amusement before taking her hand only to yank her downwards, Buffy, however, knew he was going to do that, she allows herself to fall only to roll forwards straight back onto her feet.  
"I taught you that, old man." She says.

John shakes his head, it still astonished him to this day her strength, agility and speed in a fight, honestly to this day he still hadn't beat her in a fight, and he was beginning to think he never would.

As he stands he looks at Buffy carefully and notices something, she was favouring her right side, frowning he approaches her only to tap her on her right side with his Bo-staff.  
Buffy winces slightly making him sigh "Let me see."

Buffy hesitates slightly, before groaning in frustration, he always noticed too quickly for her liking, Slowly she raises her t-shirt slightly to show her now healing broken rib.

"Jesus Buffy." John hisses as he rubs his jaw with his hand "What the hell happened?"  
Buffy shakes his off, lowering her shirt "Nothing. Just a bad run in on the way home from work. Nothing I can't handle."

John sighs, there was something she wasn't telling him, and as much as he wanted to push he couldn't, not now that he wasn't being honest with her about his work.

After an awkward few minutes of silence Buffy sits down on the training mat, crossing her legs she looks across at him as he sits opposite her "So your client is The Hood guy, huh?"  
John chuckles, she was always obvious when she was trying to change the subject "According to the media."

Buffy arches a brow and leans back on her elbows as she looks at him "You don't believe it?"  
John sighs "Doesn't matter. But from what I see Oliver Queen is a party boy. Do you honestly think he's capable of all that?"  
Buffy smiles sadly at him "Looking at me would you say that I'm capable of all the things I've done?" When John hesitates she nods "You see appearances can be deceiving."

John thinks about this for a moment and looks at his friend carefully. As his phone begins ringing he stands, walking over to her he kisses the top of her head before heading over to his phone "The vigilante is calling me now." He jokes making Buffy chuckle "Aww he needs his sidekick." She says sweetly only for him to glare at her.

* * *

"Yeah." Oliver answers as he hears the knock at his door, not once does he take his eyes away from the books scattered in front of him.  
As the door opens his glances up to see Diggle, immediately he slams his father's book shut "Thank you for coming." Oliver frowns as he spots a bruise on Diggle's face, he hadn't been there earlier "Been in a fight?"  
"Girl's got a good right hook." Diggle responds offhandedly before shutting the door as well as giving Oliver a pointed look making it clear that he wasn't to ask about it again.

"Guess it was just a matter of time before the police caught up with you." Diggle says as he approaches Oliver who was now leaning back in his chair, completely relaxed.  
"Except they didn't." The billionaire responds.  
"Oliver, they got you on video."  
Oliver merely shrugs "I knew the security camera was there. Just like I knew the police would review the footage and arrest me—all part of the plan."  
Diggle frowns, he was thoroughly confused now "So, you wanted to get arrested?"  
"Well, I returned to Starling City, and a few days later the vigilante appears." He points out how obvious the whole situation actually was "Sooner or later, somebody was going to make the connection."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

Buffy stands in front of the small house frozen. "Hey." Willow says cheerfully as she approaches Buffy, a broad smile covering her face.  
Buffy shakes her head and turns to her friend, forcing a smile on her face "So this is Giles' home, huh? It's very...well British." She says gesturing to the old stone cottage.  
Willow laughs slightly "Yeah, that's what I thought. But hey he has a TV. That's very un-Giles like."

Willow looks over at Buffy and immediately a worried frown covers her face "You okay?"  
"Yeah." Buffy says distractedly, honestly, everything was hitting her, her home was gone, the place where her mother was buried and now, her sister was off in Italy. It was just hard. Things were changing so drastically so quickly and it was taking a beating out of the young Slayer.

After a moment Buffy glances at Willow "So when do we begin? With all the watcher building stuff?"  
Willow smiles, opening the door she leads Buffy into the cottage as she speaks "I'm going to do a tracer spell. Try and find any local Slayers. Giles wants to rebuild the watcher's council. But in the right way so we've got to go recover the remaining volumes the council had. Which is where you come in."

Buffy chuckled, running a hand through her hair she dumps her stuff on the ground before turning to face Willow "I take it something grizzly comes this way?"  
"Something scaly."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Buffy stands in Queen Consolidated staring at the view from Xander's window, completely mesmerised. She had been working non-stop since she moved here that she hadn't had even a second pause to notice that the city was actually beautiful.  
"Buff...earth to the Buffster...buffarama!" Buffy was suddenly shaken back to reality, she turns to face Xander only to gasp in shock as she finds herself face to face with an image of an ugly orange scaly demon.

"What the hell!" She exclaims as she snatches the photo away from Xander who was now laughing violently when she glares at him he merely grins at her "Knew that would get your attention."

Buffy rolls her eyes and pushes past him to sit on the leather couch in the corner of his office.  
As she does Xander lifts a file off his desk before placing it in front of her "This one is going to be a little trickier Buff."

Buffy frowns and takes the file from Xander's hand, she groans as she sees the photo of her next target in his human shell, she glances up at Xander, an astonished look on her face "A preacher?"

"Yep. And the minute you make this one well you'll be up against a massive slimy scaly creature I doubt you're going to get any talk out of this one Buff." Xander looks at her hesitantly, he knew what must be going through her mind right now "Are you gonna be okay?"  
Buffy nods, not looking him in the eye merely staring at the photo of the church "Yeah."

* * *

"Thank you both for coming." The prosecution lawyer says as she and Detective Lance sit in the interrogation room opposite Laurel and Oliver.  
"Thank you." Oliver says as he leans back in his chair "It's nice to get out of the house."  
The prosecution lawyer, Olivia merely cuts right to the chase "I'll cut right to it." She says facing Laurel "Detective Lance arrested your client without consulting my office first." As she says it Olivia glares at Quinton briefly before continuing "So congratulations, I am willing to consider a plea in this case."

Oliver doesn't even hesitate, there was no way that was going to happen "Absolutely not."

"Mr Queen spent five years in seclusion on a deserted Island cut off from civilisation." Olivia argues "It is quite possible he's suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress." As she speaks Oliver glares at her, clearly not happy with this "Give that, we would support a plea of insanity conditional on a period of indeterminate incarceration at a psychiatric facility."  
Oliver stares in disbelief, this was not a part of his plan, this was not what was supposed to happen, there was no way in hell he was going to a psychiatric facility, he wasn't insane "No." He chuckles "Thank you. I'm not crazy."

Lance turns his gaze to Oliver, his eyes and voice full of distant "Finally something we agree on. He's not a nut. He's a killing machine."  
"Actually, I'm neither." Oliver says, offering both Lance and Olivia a kind smile, trying to convince them. Unfortunately he knew that wouldn't work, definitely not on Lance.  
"There is nothing you can say to me that I would believe." Lance says.  
Oliver nods, after a moment of contemplation he turns to Olivia "I'll take a polygraph."

* * *

Buffy holds her ankle length leather jacket tighter to her, making sure not one aspect of her suit could be seen by the observer's eye. The negative of having the confront this demon in such a public place was the fact that she couldn't bring her scythe. And if she walked in there with a massive rucksack she'd draw too much attention to herself.

Tucking her hair behind her ears she slowly steps into the church, as she walks down the aisle her breathing picking up, she hadn't been in a church in years and last time wasn't exactly a pleasant memory.  
When she spots the preacher all her horrible memories are quickly sent to the back of her mind and she quickly moves to sit down.

She watches the preacher, Joseph speaks to the other people in the church offering them kind words, she could almost laugh, he was good, he knew exactly how to play them. As they handed him money she could almost see the smirk on his face.

She quickly looks down as he makes his way towards her, allowing her hair to fall around her, covering her face. Lifting up her mask covering her mouth and nose she loosens her hold on her jacket.  
"Miss? I haven't seen you around here before. I'm Father Joseph, what is your name child?"

Buffy doesn't say anything, she merely reaches for her watch and presses the button on the side, as she does a loud fire alarm goes off and everyone begins to leave the church.  
Joseph turns around panicked, he needed those people here and now they were all leaving.

Buffy grabs Joseph and tosses him across the room sending him crashing into the organ. She moves to stand in the middle of the aisle and whips off her jacket before tossing it away. "We need to have a little chat."

As she speaks her eyes widen as Joseph begins to groan, her eyes widen as she watches his body contort in awkward positions before his skins starts to peel off, blood dripping off him as his true form comes forward.  
Buffy stares wide-eyed, as not a moment later a 15-foot large demon was standing in front of her "Oops."

* * *

Five Years Ago - London

"Okay Sunnydale High feels anyone?" Buffy mutters as her, Giles and Xander make their way through the burnt up half destroyed building that use to be the Watcher's Council.  
Xander raises his hand in agreement "It's got the creepy, evil vibe thing working for it."  
Giles shakes his head, he spent too much time around American's to the point that he was actually starting to understand them now. "Can you two focus please?" He asks before pauses as he looks around the room "It does share some similarities to the remains of the library."  
Buffy and Xander grin successful before continuing to walk through the large building.

As they walk Buffy stops in her tracks as she hears a grumbling noise coming from down the hall "Buff?" Xander asks only to have her 'shh' him.  
Closing her eyes she listens as carefully as she can, trying to listen for the amount of footsteps "I think..." She whispers before carefully opening her eyes "...down the hall. One demon."  
Giles nods "That's the library. The volumes of the earliest watcher's records will be there."  
Buffy nods, taking in this information. She grabs her bag off Xander and pulls out the scythe "Wait here."

When both men try to argue, she merely places her hands on her hips and glares at both of them "Anyone wanna try and get in my way."  
Both men gulp before shaking their heads.

The blonde smiles before twirling the scythe in her hands and making her way down the hall "When I have it distracted I'll call you in. In and out."  
Xander giggles slightly "That's what she said."

Buffy rolls her eyes before making her way towards the door at the end of the hall. Taking a deep breath and moves to push the door open only to suddenly be yanked off her feet as something grabs her ankle and drags her into the room before pinning her to the ceiling.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver stares at the polygraph in front of him, trying to calm his heartbeat, he knew the only way to make sure he passed was to carefully select every answer he gave. Glance at Laurel for a brief moment he turns back to Lance as the test begins.

"Is your name Oliver Queen?" The technician asks.  
Oliver can't help but smirk slightly "You don't know who I am, detective?"  
"The questions are to calibrate the polygraph. Is your name Oliver Queen?" Lance hisses  
Oliver stares at him blankly, clearly not amused "Yes."

"Were you born in Starling City, May 16, 1985?" The technician continues.  
"Yes."  
"Is your hair blue?"  
"No."

"Ever been to Iron Heights Prison?" Lance asks next, holding back the grin threatening to appear. He had Queen now, and he knew it.  
"No." Oliver tells him.

Lance glances down and frowns at the sight of the polygraph, he grabs the file on the table and begins to flip through it. Pulling out the sketch of The Hood he raises it towards Oliver "Are you the man in this picture?"

* * *

Buffy groans in pain as the yellow demon wraps a sharp claw around her and pins her to the ceiling. Struggling to break free she looks for an escape, panicking as her vision begins to blur.

* * *

"No." Oliver answer as he stares at the image in Lance's hands.  
At his answer, Lance turns to the technical who gives him a swift nod, Lance's jaw immediately tightens and he bites his lip. He swallows his irritation and turns back to Oliver "You steal $40 million off Adam Hunt?"  
"No, I didn't." Oliver answers after a brief breathe.  
"Were you marooned on an Island called Lian Yu for five years?"  
"Yes." Oliver answers sharply as Laurel turns to her father appalled, that wasn't relevant and he knew it "How is that even relevant."

Her father merely glances at her, the anger at her decision to defend Oliver still evident on his face "I don't need to show relevance, but since you ask, whatever happened to your client on that Island turned him into a cold-blooded killer."

* * *

Five Years Ago - London

Buffy aimlessly swings the scythe at the creature, however, it seemed as though every time she cut off another arm, it merely grew too more.

She panics as it reaches for her again, running towards the moulding bookshelf she leaps up placing her foot on a high shelf and pushing herself into the air.  
Flipping through the air she grabs onto the chandelier in the middle of the room, allowing it to spin her towards the door, jumping off the chandelier she lands by the door.

"Guys! Need a little help here!" She yells just as another one of the creature's arms wrap around her waist and one of its claw's digs into her back "Ahhhh!"

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver sighs at Lance's response, but a part of him that he would never listen to couldn't help but agree with the detective.  
"The physician that examined you reported that 20% of your body is covered in scar tissue." Lance continues ignoring the disgusted looks his daughter was currently throwing at him.

* * *

Buffy coughs violently as the creature continues to add pressure to her rib cage, making it harder and harder for her to catch her breath. She shifts slightly trying to reach for one of her blades, however, her attempts are futile. She huffs in frustration before she remembers something. Glancing down at her boots she slams the heels together, as she does a small blade appears at the toe of each boot. Grinning to herself she uses all of her strength to force the massive hand away from her body, when she has enough leverage she swings her legs around stabbing the creature in the eye, causing it to howl.

* * *

Laurel glanced at Oliver, sympathy filling her gaze "The machine won't work unless you ask a question." She tells her father, all while keeping her gaze on her ex.  
Lance grins slightly "Did that happen to you there?"  
Oliver forces himself to look Lance in the eyes as he answers "Yes."  
"When you came back you told everyone that you were alone on that Island. Are you claiming that your scars were self-inflicted?"  
Oliver takes a deep breath, this was getting harder and harder for him to stay in control "No. I wasn't alone. I didn't want to talk about what happened to me on the Island."  
Lance grins, successful, he finally trapped him against a wall, there was no getting out now "And why not?"  
"Because the people that were there tortured me." As the words leave his lips Laurel's eyes widen and she turns to him shock filling her expression.

Lance having no sympathy but feeling slightly less interested in learning about the pain Oliver had suffered through "Have you ever killed anybody?"  
Oliver looks down, swallowing his anger and all the emotions threatening to break through him. After a brief moment allowing him to compose himself he looks back up "Yes. When I asked your daughter Sara to come on that yacht with me, I killed your daughter."

* * *

Five Years Ago - London

Buffy cries out as the creature digs its claw across her lower back ripping through the skin. Gritting her teeth, Buffy forces herself out of its grasp crying out as the claw scratched over her bone at the movement. Once she was free she turns and slices the arm with the scythe watching it drop to the ground.

"Buffy!" Giles exclaims as him and Xander run into the room and spot Buffy just as she collapses against the wall.  
Buffy glances over at them, her vision blurring by the second, however as she notices the creature turn towards her friends, she forces herself to stand, biting her lip painfully to keep from screaming.

"Hey!" She screams making the creature turn towards her again, once she has it's attention she launches the scythe at it.  
She holds her breath watching the scythe flip through the air, before burying itself in the creature's heart.

"Now!" She yells towards Xander who immediately lights up the flamethrower in his hands.  
She watches as the creature is lit up in flames before darkness consumes her.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Buffy places her heel at the throat of the creature who was still howling and clutching his bleeding eye. She glances down at him, an eyebrow arched in interest "Well for a big guy...well...you're kind of a big baby. Xander didn't cry this much when his eyes got poked eye. And don't blame me I love the guy but he has a very feminine side."

The creature ignores her and merely continues to howl, after a moment she rolls her eyes and sits on the demon grabbing a blade from her thigh and holding it against it's throat "Talk!" She hisses, adding pressure to his throat.

"Stop! Stop! Please!" The demon begs, actually begging, a 15-foot feral demon.  
Buffy can't help but laugh at the irony of it, she quickly gets back to her serious look "You wanna end up in little pieces, causing I swear I may only have this blade which just means this is gonna be real slow and painful."  
The demon begins to cower "I'll talk!"  
Buffy grins "Who? Who is running the organisation that turns you human?! Who!?"  
The demon begins shaking violently terrified "I ca—can't. The—they will kill me." He stutters.  
Buffy tilts her head and grabs another blade, and grabs a hold of the demon's ear "What do you think I'm going to do?" She asks before slicing the blade through his ear.

As he screams she grabs him pinning him to the ground to keep him from fidgeting "You tell me now and I will let you go."

The demon glares at her but at this point he was now too terrified to argue "The Triad!" He yells "That's it. That's all I know! I swear."

Buffy smiles "Thank you." She says before sighing, finally, she drives the blade into his heart, watching shock fill his eyes before his body begins to melt.

The blonde stays frozen for a brief moment before standing, she places her knives back on her legs before running towards the window. Climbing up the cross in the room she leaps off it towards the window before making her way into the dark street.

* * *

"Muller's car has been parked in the warehouse district of the Glades for 45 minutes." Oliver tells Diggle as they speak in his bedroom, hidden away from the busy party taking place downstairs.  
Oliver hands Diggle his phone allowing him to see the map showing Muller's vehicle.

As Diggle looks at it he nods "Yeah, that's a good place for an arms deal. Ok, since it's going down tonight, what do we do? Drop a dime on Muller with the cops?" He asks as he hands Oliver the phone back.

Oliver shakes his head, he had a plan, one that if Diggle agreed to would solve all their problems "No. The man in the hood. He's going to stop them."  
Diggle sighs before gesturing to the very obvious piece of metal currently shackled to Oliver's ankle "Oliver, you can't leave the house."  
"It doesn't have to be me in the hood." Oliver says hesitantly before looking John in the eye.

Diggle takes a second before he get's Oliver's point, he scoffs, he couldn't be serious "That's why you threw this ridiculous party, so you have 100 witnesses placing you here at the house while I'm supposed to be across town dressed as a vigilante?"

As Diggle's anger begins to rise Oliver tries to reassure him "I thought this was going to be good enough just for you to be seen in the hood."  
Diggle growls slightly and begins pacing around the room, running all the possible outcomes of this idea in his head. None of which ended well.

* * *

Buffy climbs in through the balcony door at her apartment, covered in demon blood. As she steps into the living room Willow who was currently reading _The Falcon Head_ turns her head only to gasp, dropping the book she runs over to Buffy panicked that her friend was hurt.  
As Willow approaches her Buffy offers her a small smile "It's not my blood."  
Willow pauses as the scent hits her, she ignores the smell "Are you okay?"

Buffy nods and moves past her friend reaching for the bottle of whiskey on the table taking a long drink before pulling the bottle away and wiping her lips "Got a bit rough. But I got something."

Willow frowns, first at the sight of Buffy clutching the booze, she may have the occasional drink but both her and Xander were more aware of the amount Buffy could drink after Afghanistan.  
Willow sighs before approaching Buffy "What did you get?"  
"A name. The Triad."

* * *

Oliver stands in front of Laurel in his bedroom, hanging onto every word that she was saying.  
"I didn't know about the torture. Or the scars."  
At her words he looks down at her, staring into her eyes as she continued "What happened to you on that Island was far more that you deserved. And I was wrong that I didn't ask you before. But I'm asking you now. I need to know. I need to see."

Oliver freezes, he hadn't expected this, he never thought she would come here, let alone ask these questions, he looks at her hesitantly before speaking "Are you sure?"  
When she nods he unbuttons his shirt allowing her to pull it to the side to examine the scars covering his chest. She gasps in shock at the sight of them "How did you survive this?"  
"There were times when I wanted to die." He says honestly "In the end, there was something I wanted more."

Laurel's eyes fill with water and the next thing the both of them knew she was kissing him.  
Just as he began to kiss her back she pulls away gasping, she quickly panics and heads for the door.  
Oliver stands there not turning to follow her "You don't—Laurel, you don't have to go." At his words his hears the door slam shut. She was gone.

* * *

Five Years Ago – London

"Buffy!" Giles exclaims as him as Xander approach the barely conscious blonde.  
Xander's eyes widen at the sight, Buffy's lower back had a long deep slice an inch in width, it was bleeding heavily too much for them to stop.  
Giles glances at Buffy who was trying to speak but it was coming out as barely a mumble, however when he moves to add pressure to her wound, to try and stop the bleeding she screams a horrifying scream.  
Xander panics and clutches her hand letting her squeeze it, even though she was probably crushing his bones.

"X—xanmer." Buffy mumbles "Xam—Xander. The books."  
Xander's eyes widen in shock "Buffy no, we've got to get you to a hospital!"  
Buffy takes a shaky breath "No time."  
"Willow!" Xander exclaims.  
Giles sighs "She's meditating. Try to contact the other realms to looks for magical links to locate the Slayers. She won't hear us." He glances down at Buffy "If we move her she'll die." He whispers "That demon has a venom in the claws. It's not fatal until ten minutes after it enters the blood stream."  
"So what do we do?"

Giles sighs, he knew what he had to do, but the idea of doing this to the girl he thinks of as his own daughter killed him. "We have to cauterize the wound." He tells the young man who immediately looks at him in horror.  
"That could kill her! Giles!"  
Giles runs his hands through his hair, pulling at the strands harshly "The venom will kill her, the only way to stop it is to burn it out of her system. Cauterising the wound will get rid of the venom and will stop the bleeding long enough for us to get her to Willow."

Buffy who had been fading in and out of consciousness coughs violently as a burning sensation begins to fill her, suddenly she coughs violently again this time blood pooling out of her mouth.  
Xander looks down at the blonde, clutching her head in his lap as continues to let her destroy his hand.  
Buffy stays lucid long enough to take Xander's other hand and look him in the eye "Get the books. Then do it."

* * *

Oliver sits on his desk, still frozen after the events that had occurred earlier with Laurel. Instantly however his body goes straight at his phone rings.  
" _Man in the hood, one."_ John says as Oliver answers _"Gangbangers, zero._ "

When there is a knock at the door, Oliver momentarily pulls his phone away from his ear "Hold on."

"Mr. Queen." A voice says from behind the door "If you're entertaining guests upstairs should I have some drinks sent up?"  
Oliver sighs "No, it's just me up here, and I'm on my way back down." He says as he moves towards the door, bringing the phone back to his ear "Good job. Now get back here." He tells John just as he opens the door only to find the waiter at the door holding a gun to his face.

Grabbing the waiter's hand he moves the gun and punches his in the face.  
The two squabble around the room however just as the waiter manages to gain the upper hand a loud gun shot goes off and he drops to the ground, Detective Lance standing behind him holding his gun.

* * *

Buffy stands with her head under the showerhead, letting the water drip down her face, taking shaky breaths she watches the blonde seep away from her revealing the scars on her stomach, the long scar on her left thigh as well as the thin scar on the outside of her elbow.  
With a sigh she clenches her fist before climbing out of the shower.

She stands in front of the mirror, wiping away the stream she looks at the scars like she always did. She turns her back to the mirror and glancing over her shoulder she looks at the scars and burns there, however, for the first time in a long time, her sight was drawn to the long deep thick scar on her lower back.

* * *

Five Years Ago

Xander watches as Giles piles the books in the bag before making his way back to them. He looks at Buffy carefully before turning to Xander "The venom will have weakened her, so you're gonna be able to hold her down."

Xander's eyes widen "Wait what?!" He shakes his head, he couldn't help inflict Buffy to more pain.  
"Alexander!" Giles exclaims, catching his full attention, if she moves an inch when I do this, it will kill her. I am counting on you, Buffy is too."

Xander looks at Giles before looking down at his best friend, he was terrified of losing her again so this needed to be done, he doesn't say anything he merely nods and moves to hold down her arms making her wince slightly "I'm sorry, Buff." He says softly.

Giles sighs before grabbing his gun and his lighter, and a bottle of whisky. He pulls out several bullets and begins opening them up to get access to the powder. As he does this he hands the bottle of whisky to Xander. "You have to clean the wound, this is all we have."  
Xander reaches out a shaky hand and takes the bottle.

"Wait for my signal." Giles says as he grabs the long metal blade from the bag, as he begins to heat up the blade, Buffy's eyes open and she begins shaking.

Giles takes a deep breath, he had not seen her this scared since she was 16, shaking his head he touches the blade only to have to pull his hand away.  
He glances over at Xander "It's time."

Xander looks down at Buffy "It's gonna be alright." He tells her before wincing as he pours the whisky on the wound. Immediately she begins screaming and as she struggles Giles and Xander hold her down.

After a moment Giles nods at Xander who moves to hold Buffy's shoulders, ignoring the pain of her digging her nails into his thigh.  
Giles takes a deep breath before moving as quickly as he can, pouring the powder in the wound before placing the boiling blade to the wound.  
The moment he does all that can be heard is the sound of Buffy's blood-curdling scream

* * *

Starling City – Present Day 

"So you lied to her, or maybe you just gave her a version of the truth." Diggle points out as Oliver walks across the lair holding a large wooden crate. As Oliver places the crate on the table he speaks "I told her what she needed to hear, Diggle. She was too close."  
Diggle stands "Sad thing is, I think you actually believe that. I think things didn't go down exactly as you planned. You didn't count on so many people having questions, doubting you. You didn't think about what happens when you lie—especially when you lie to the ones you love."

Oliver freezes his hand hovering above the crate, after a moment he turns to Diggle "Let me ask you something Dig, that girl, Buffy. She's your best friend. Like a sister right? Did you tell her about this?" He asks gesturing to the lair.  
Dig sighs "Buffy's different man."  
"No, I see your face when you talk about her, she's like a sister to you. You're protecting her. Just like I am with the people in my life."  
"No matter how it affects them?" Diggle asks as he moves to stand opposite the man who was slowly becoming his friend "Or how it might hurt them."  
Oliver stays quiet for a moment before looking John in the eye "You're wrong. I think about it all the time. And just to be clear, not being able to tell my family truth—it doesn't hurt anyone worse than it hurts me."


	6. Legacies

Five Years Ago - Westbury

"Quickly!" Xander yells as Giles pulls over the car by the cottage, the minute the car stops Xander reaches into the backseat where Buffy was currently breathing very shallow and turning very pale.

He lifts her into his arms and runs after Giles, they had been driving for 2 hours and Buffy was getting weaker and weaker, they needed Willow.

The minute the front door opens Xander forces himself and Buffy inside. "Willow!" He screams as he moves into the study, pushing everything off the desk he carefully places Buffy on it, placing his jacket under her head.

Suddenly Giles runs into the room with an exhausted looking Willow in tow, however, the minute she spots her two best friends her eyes widen and all exhaustion disappeared from her face.  
"What happened?"

"Pugarmina Demon." Giles answers as he moves to stand beside Buffy, "We didn't know." He says panicked.  
Willow frowns in worry, however, she was slightly confused, the venom of a Pugarmina demon killed its victims in under 10 minutes and that's not including the blood loss. "How is she—"

Willow starts only to be cut off as both men tilt Buffy to the side revealing the cauterised wound that was starting to bleed again.

The witch's eyes widen if they did this it may have saved them some time but she needed to do something now or Buffy was going to die. Again.  
Willow takes a shaky breath holding back tears "Turn her over and then back away."

The two men do as she says, and once they are out of the way she approaches her best friend, collecting some herbs from the shelf next to Buffy she rubs them with her fingers in a bowl of salt.

She closes her eyes, as she does a red glow covers her hands, she hovers her hands over Buffy's new scar and immediately the girl begins convulsing, Willow allows a tear to graze her cheek as she continues.

The scar on Buffy's back glows and slowly the swelling disappears and the blood slowly rolls off her back.

Buffy screams as the magic hits her, ripping the venom out of her body.

After what felt like an eternity Willow lowers her hands only to dip it in the bowl of herbs. After a brief hesitation, she places her hands on the scar and as she does Buffy howls in agony before darkness consumes her.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day 

"Ah!" Diggle exclaims as Oliver backhands him with the metal pole, first at 5 foot 3 blonde now Oliver. This really must be the month of kick-the-Diggle.

"Variable acceleration." Oliver says as he continues to circle Diggle who was currently clutching his cheek "Fighters working the pace, you switch it up. Throw your opponent off his game."

Diggle wipes the blood from his mouth before responding "Ah that was nice. You hit almost-actually never mind not even near as hard. So where'd you learn that?"

Oliver frowns for a second curious as to who Diggle was going to mention, however, he doesn't comment and merely answers the question "His name was Yao Fei." He says vaguely.  
Diggle glances at him then at the scars on his chest "He give you those scars?"

"One of them." Oliver says with a small smirk.  
"And the others?" Diggle asks, curiosity biting at him. When Oliver doesn't answer he stops moving to face him "You know one of these days you're gonna be straight with me about what really happened on that Island."

Oliver grins at the two prepare to restart their training facing each other, and raising the metal batons "Absolutely."

* * *

"Lie down." Buffy orders as Willow attempts to sit up only to begin coughing violently, Buffy smiles slightly at her friend before placing a thermometer in her mouth "Stay." She orders.

Willow grumbles something about work merely causing Buffy to chuckle, considering Xander' position in the Queen company now Willow didn't have to worry. But yet she was Willow so of course, she did.

Buffy leaves her friend for a moment and makes her way to the kitchen, grabbing soup from the microwave she heads back to Willow's room and sits at the edge of the bed.

Taking the thermostat from Willow she sighs worriedly as she spots her 100-degree temperature. Immediately Buffy removes Willow's work phone from her grasp "Hey!" Willow coughs, as she reaches for the phone "I can't take work off. Felicity is sick too. We're the only ones with brains in the entire department."

Buffy shakes her head in amusement before tucking Willow into bed "I'm sure she will understand. Now here eat some soup. Eat, sleep."  
When Willow, grumbles again and reluctantly takes the soup Buffy smiles in success before making her way out of the room.

As she moves towards the couch her beeper goes off, immediately the blonde groans, her one day off and she was getting called in. "Typical." She mumbles before checking on Willow once more and making her way out of the house.

* * *

" _How fast can you make it to Starling General?"_ Diggle asks Oliver the moment he answers the phone.

Oliver who was at the mansion quickly makes a decision "On my way." He says before hanging up the phone and making his way towards the front door.

As he does he freezes as in steps Tommy "Hey, hey just the man I wanted to see." Tommy says with a smile.  
Oliver forces a smile on his face realising that he really needed to start locking his front door.

"I just picked up a new sports car." Tommy tells him, an excited look on his face  
"And I'm thinking we can open her up pick up a few speeding tickets—"  
"That sounds great..." Oliver cuts him off, he was running out of time and he didn't have time to acknowledge Tommy's need to get in trouble with the law "...but something's come up. I got to jet."

As Oliver steps around him heading towards the door, Tommy frowns in confusion "O-ok."

* * *

"Scott Morgan doesn't seem like the type to try and kill himself." Oliver tells Diggle as he climbs off his motorcycle and approaches the vet.  
Diggle nods and begins to lead him towards the ambulance currently unloading a patient "True, but it's the best lie I could come up with on short notice."

At that point, Oliver spots a familiar blonde climbing out of the ambulance before closing up the back "Is that?"  
Diggle's head spins towards the blonde and immediately he glares at Oliver "Man, don't." Diggle sighs before waving at the blonde "Buffy!"

Buffy's was removing her hot sweaty jacket when she hears her name being called, turning her head she spots Diggle and Oliver Queen.

Buffy sighs and waves back at him before turning to the woman who was currently waiting by her mustang. "One minute." She mouths to the woman before making her way over to Diggle.  
"You so owe me." She says as she gives him a punch on the shoulder, Diggle chuckles "Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that."

"Hey!" She exclaims "I will cash in those favours eventually." Buffy turns her head towards Oliver was staring at the bullet wound on her lower hip, she lowers her vest which had risen up and smiles at him "Nice to see you again, Mr Queen."

Oliver smiles at the blonde "Call me Oliver."  
"Alright, Queeny." She jokes earning a chuckle from Diggle.

After a moment she glances back at the woman still waiting by her car "That's his wife." She tells him "He's not that bad. But he's gonna need treatment whatever reason you needed him transferred here for...well let's just say he'll be go go like bananas soon enough." Buffy pauses and glances at Oliver "What he here for?" She asks Dig "No offence." She mutters to Oliver.

Buffy glances back at the woman once more and checks her watch.  
Diggle sighs, hating to have to lie to her "Oliver paid for the transfer."

Buffy nods, and eyes Oliver carefully there was something off about him, and what shocked her the most was that he was looking at her the exact same way.

"Summers!" Stewart calls as he heads back to the ambulance.  
Buffy groans in annoyance before turning back Diggle "Can I kill him?"  
"No." He chuckles before squeezing her shoulder and pushing her towards the ambulance "Thanks again Buff."

Buffy smiles and gives them both a wave "Remember her name is Jana." She says before climbing into the van with Stewart and speeding off.  
Oliver glances at Diggle "She's..."  
Diggle glares at him, a warning look on his face "Careful."  
Oliver waves his hands in defence "Interesting. Now wanna tell me what's going on?"

* * *

Five Years Ago - Westbury

Willow walks into the guest room where Buffy was currently confined to bed, she was lying on her stomach trying to avoid lying on her injury. Willow inhales sharply at the sight of the scar, all Buffy's years of fighting she had very little scars, the only one that was even that bad was the one on her neck and even that had begun to fade after the years.

"It's not that bad." A timid voice mumbles, after a moment Willow finally notices that Buffy was, in fact, awake.  
She offers her friend a small smile before sitting on the edge of her bag "I'm sorry, Buffy."

Buffy frowns, forcing herself up she bites her lip, trying to keep from yelling out. Finally, she sits up and leans carefully against the headrest "Willow it's not your fault. We didn't know what we were walking into...why—why are you sorry?" The blonde pauses and watches her friend carefully, it's then she remembers the look of horror on Willow's face at the sight of her scar "Will, it's a scar you-"

"No." Willow whispers quietly "I'm sorry. For what happened in Sunnydale. We never talked about, I just-after you almost-" When Willow begins sobbing violently Buffy sighs and leans over pulling her friend to her.  
"I'm so sorry." Willow cries as she hugs Buffy carefully.  
Buffy smiles sadly as she runs her hand through her friend's hair and consoles her "It's okay."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Diggle stands next to Oliver, who was sat at the computer desk in the lair, the two were going through security footage of the bank robbery. As they watch something catches Diggle's eye "See that guy right there? He's got a temper."  
Oliver nods "And he shot Officer Washington." He realises.  
"That's right."  
Oliver rewinds the footage again before enhancing the image slightly, something on the robber was drawing his eye "College ring."

Diggle tilts his head as he looks at the image "From high school more likely."  
"That ring will get us an ID."

Diggle nods before reaching over Oliver towards the keyboard "Yeah, but even with photo enhancement, you're going to have a problem getting a clear shot of that ring."

"No, but that ring would have made an impression." Oliver tells his partner as he moves out of the chair and over to his jacket "Police would have gotten a photo, it will be in evidence lockup."

* * *

As her Lunch break nears Buffy heads towards the staff room to grab her stuff when someone calling her name makes her pause "Buffy."  
She frowns before turning, surprisingly it wasn't Stewart but Doctor Dean Morgan.  
"Dr Morgan. What can I do for you?" She asks as she steps into the staff room.

He follows her inside, leaning against the door as he watches her intently "It's Dean."

Buffy, who was only half paying attention to the extremely attractive doctor, who seriously reminded her of one of the brothers on that Supernatural TV show, turns to him a frown on confusion on her face "What?"  
Dean smiles and runs a hand over the stubble on his cheeks "Call me Dean. Dr Morgan is too formal."

Buffy chuckles in amusement before offering him a small smile "Okay...Dean. What can I Buffy...cause that's my name...do for you?"

Dean smirks, and in all honesty, Buffy had to admit he was extremely good looking, and if she was any other girl she most probably would have surrendered to his charms by now.

He slowly approaches her as she continues to place her uniform in her locker before grasping her red leather jacket "Do you like coffee?"

Buffy freezes momentarily before continuing to put on her jacket, she stares at him stunned for a moment "You mean that brown stuff that smells like train oil? And makes people shrivel up like a peanut in the winter?"  
Dean quirks an eyebrow at her amused before smiling "I take that as a no?"

"Actually I love coffee." She says offhandedly as she grabs her bag out of locker before closing it.  
"Great." Dean grins "So shall we?"

Buffy finally understanding that he was asking her out laughs loudly, she taps him on the chest and makes her way past him towards the door "Nice try, smooth criminal. But you got more chance of seeing a flying monkey burp pancakes than with me."

Dean scoffs, actually shocked for a moment, he actually liked her, found her intriguing, he just hadn't expected that she would say no to his proposal "We'll see how long you stick with that."  
Buffy laughs again before giving him a wave "Good luck with that."

* * *

"Bank manager is punched." Oliver says as he lands on a photo of the manager of the bank right after the attack "His ring left a mark." He points out the large circular mark on the manager's cheek to Dig.

Dig nods and watches as Oliver types into the keyboard trying to enhance the mark to be a better view. After a minute the computer runs an analysis looking for the school that ring belonged to.

"Larchmont High—high school." He admits to Diggle who grins at the way Oliver doesn't look him in the eye admitting his defeat.

"I cross-referenced his height and relative age with the list of students and alumni." Oliver continues.

Diggle sighs, that still left them a long way away from finding the people responsible "That's still a long list." He points out.

Oliver nods, however, he had already dealt with that problem "It was but I dug a little deeper and found Kyle Reston." He informs Dig as he pulls up a photo of the man in question "Right before Kyle's senior year, not only did he drop out, he dropped off the grid, along with his family, father, mother, younger brother."  
Diggle circles Oliver and pauses to stare at the photo of Kyle's family, everything seemed to be falling into place "There are two other guys involved in this robbery."  
"And a woman."

* * *

Buffy sits opposite Xander eating her sandwich and fries as quickly as she can.

Xander frowns at the sight, something was up, Buffy always stuffed her face when there is something she was avoiding talking about.  
After a moment of silence, Xander pulls  
Buffy's fries out of her reach, immediately the blonde panics "Hey!" She exclaims.  
Xander keeps it out of reach and gives her a pointed look "Buffy, you haven't spoken in 10 minutes, what happened?"

Buffy bites her lip before groaning and flopping her head on Xander's desk "NO." She mumbles.  
Xander arches a brow, he runs his hands through his hair, before adjusting his eye patch "Buffster, you're eating like you're having your last meal. Not that you don't always do that but normally you enjoy the fatty goodness."

Buffy sighs and leans on her elbows holding her head up with her hands "It's nothing." When Xander scoffs she rolls her eyes "One of the doctor's...at the hospital...he asked me out."  
Xander freezes, that explained it, her dull mood, the way she was evading "Buff..."  
"I know it's stupid. I just..."  
Xander realises then in that moment why she was so freaked out "You like him. Not just one night stand like but like like."

* * *

"Ms Rosenberg is not here." The IT division head says as Oliver and Diggle stand in his office.

Oliver groans and is about to ask about Ms Smoak but the man cuts him off "Smoak isn't here either."  
The IT head turns his head away from his computer and huffs before turning to them "They're sick. No one else here who can help sorry."  
Diggle keeps his arms crossed "You're telling me no one in your department is useful."

"Nope." The man groans in annoyance he was busy playing anger birds on his phone and wanted his peace "Look Rosenberg's roommate is upstairs in Harris's office. Ask her."

Oliver and Diggle both glare at the man before heading for the door only to pause as Willow's boss speaks up again "Oh and if Summers is up there ask her if she's single."  
Diggle turns back to the man and glares at him "I carry a gun."  
Immediately the man gulps "Never mind."  
Oliver chuckles slightly before turning to Diggle "So Buffy is Willow's roommate?"

* * *

"Buffy come on it's not that bad." Xander says as he watches Buffy take out her frustrations on the punching bag in his office, he winces as he watches the bag rip slightly "So glad I put that thing in here." He mumbles as the image of Buffy punching holes in the wall of his office fill his mind.

Buffy stops and turns to Xander "No, Xander. I don't like him. He's—he's...alright there's really no fault, he looks like a damn Greek God..." Buffy shakes herself as images fill her mind "But no."

Buffy huffs in frustration before kicking the punching bag sending it off the hook and crashing towards the door just as two men attempt to enter.

Buffy's eyes widen and Xander shoots up from his seat, he glances at Buffy "That was excellent." He mumbles before running over to the two men.  
Buffy sighs "I am..." She pauses as she spots Diggle watching her "Dammit."

Oliver who was staring at the bag shocked turns to the small blonde who was unwrapping her hand and slipping her jumper back on. "Two visits in one day." She says to the two of them "Lucky me. Don't I feel like Barbra Streisand? I really am special do I get a price, like a cereal kind?"  
Diggle glances at Xander "Let me guess, eye patch...Xander?"

"Yes, sir. Let me guess tall, built, looks like he could crush me like a bug. John Diggle. Nice to finally meet you. Buffy doesn't shut up about you."

Oliver arches a brow everyone is this room seemed to know each quite well, Xander offers them a small smile before turning to Buffy "I've got a meeting with Walter, lock up when you leave Buff." He waves at Oliver and Diggle and heads to the door before glancing back at Buffy "Oh and Buffy this conversation isn't finished."

Buffy rolls her eyes "Nosy freaking Mary." She mumbles before turning to Oliver and Diggle "So what can I do for the two of you?"  
"We need a bit of computer help." Oliver tells her, making Buffy chuckle slightly, the irony of them to come to her "Willow's off sick." She states making it clear she knew she was their last option.

Buffy sighs before heading the Xander's computer "Lucky for you, I know all her passwords. She's kind of obvious."

As she types into the computer she glances up "Do you think I can add personal internet researcher for Oliver Queen on my résumé?" She jokes causing the graze of a smile to appear on Oliver's face.

Diggle who was standing behind her chair taps her shoulder in amusement.  
"So what's the dude's name?" She asks Oliver who was sat opposite her.  
"His name is Derek Reston. We were close before I went away. And I want to get back in touch."  
Buffy nods before glancing at him carefully "You know there is this thing called Facebook?" She glances at Dig "And you say I'm bad with keeping up."  
"Buffy." Diggle sighs "None of the above. Not even MySpace."

Buffy rolls her eyes before typing the name into Willow's search system "I'm not exactly research gal, just so you know. That's what Will and Xander are for. The research, I'm just the muscle."

Oliver chuckles slightly, the girl was amusing however after a moment she looks back up from the screen "Yeah, Queeny—"  
"Oliver." He corrects only to get a roll of the eyes.

"Queeny he's a ghost. And not the type that likes to haunt a bad ex like the one that can't be traced. The only thing here is a record from the Queen Steel factory. Reston worked there for 15 years until is shut down in 07-" Buffy pauses as she realises that they wanted this information for another reason "And you have no idea what I'm talking about."

Buffy glances over at Diggle "Whatever you actually want this information for, here it is." She says before printing off the file and handing it to him "I trust you, John. But be careful."

* * *

Five Years Ago

Buffy uses the walking-stick to pull herself up, she was still in a lot of pain, but she was healing. Faster than she should be...thank god for mystical herbs.

Slowly she takes it step by step making her way towards the living rooms where the voices of her friends were echoing through the house.  
As she steps into the living room Giles stands quickly from his seat and moves over to her, "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"Aww, you know me. Rules are for suckers." She jokes as he helps her sit in the nearby chair. Once she was comfortable she glances over at Xander and Giles "Thank you both. I would be dead if it wasn't for the two of you."

The two smile and Xander merely waves her off "Come on Buff, you didn't think we wouldn't pay you back for all of the times you've saved us. I'm hurt."

Buffy smiles in amusement before turning to Giles who was nodding in agreement with Xander "It's true Buffy. You do have a habit of saving us all."

Buffy squeezes Giles' hand before turning to Willow "The books?"

Willow nods, confirming that they had the books "I'm close. The books are really helping me learn more about the slayer lineage. I spoke with the guys and we're going to start bringing the girls in once you're healed."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"Victim's been stabbed." Stewart tells Buffy as they pull over the ambulance by the small run down house in the Glades.

Buffy nods as she grabs her gear before climbing out of the vehicle and staring at the small house, the walls looked destroyed by termites and the roof looked like it was about to cave in.  
"Prepare the back, I'll head in." She tells Stewart before making her way to the house.

"Hello?" She calls as she knocks on the door, she tenses up as the door opens easily. Inhaling sharply she enters the house "I'm from Starling General, got a call asking for help."

Suddenly someone runs at Buffy forcing her to crash through the wall leading into the living room.

Buffy groans and coughs slightly before she can even process what is happening something kicks her in the stomach sending her flying off the ground and across the room. She crashes into the next wall before landing painfully on a glass table, which shatters under her.

"Buffy Anne Summers. What a pleasure." Buffy groans in pain before turning her head ignoring the pain as the glass slices her cheek.

Her eyes widen as standing there was a man, he was about 6 foot 5 and dressed in a grey suit. He smiles sweetly at her before sighing "You had to bring a human to our first meeting. I'm feeling slightly insulted here." He tells her before turning to the door where Stewart was now entering the house, he merely grabs Stewart and slams his head against the wall knocking him unconscious.

The man taps his suit, removing the wrinkles before turning back to Buffy who was now standing "That was very impolite. Interrupting me."

Buffy glares at the man "Look suit I don't care who you are but I am so—"  
"Shh. My name is Marcus Hamilton." He says raises his finger "I am here on business girl."

"Woman." Buffy corrects with the tilt of her head before running at him, however, he merely steps to the side and grabs the back of her head, grasping her hair before swinging her body sending her crashing through another wall.

Marcus steps through the hole left in the wall by Buffy and sighs "The senior partners warned me about you."

* * *

Oliver turns his attention away from the computer screen and the tape recording of Derek and his wife as Diggle enters the room.

"What is this?" Dig asks as he approaches, confused as to how Oliver got hold of this recording.  
"I dropped a bug in Derek Reston's jacket."  
Diggle frowns "I thought you were going to give him a second chance."

Oliver nods, he still was planning to do that, but he was careful with everything he did, he never left loose ends untied "I believe in that, but I also believe in covering all my bases." He tells Diggle before switching the recording back on.

 _"_ _Derek, we can't abandon our son._ " Mrs Reston tells her husband _"After all this time, he wants to end up a winner. Set for life. Otherwise, what was the point."  
_ _"_ _All right."_ Derek responds _"One more."_

Diggle turns to Oliver and watches his eyes darken "What now?"  
Oliver looks up "We take them down."

* * *

Buffy arches an eyebrow at Marcus' words "The what now?"

Marcus tilts his head as he looks down at the small blonde haired Slayer "The Senior Partners. You should know who they are. Considering your boyfriend used to work for them."

Buffy thinks for a moment trying to understand what he was saying, it's then she remembers, Angel had worked for Wolfram and Hart.

Her eyes darken and she forces herself up gritting her teeth "Wolfram and Hart."

Marcus smiles "Yes." He tells her as he paces the room "Your boyfriend. Angel, thought he could stop them. He just buried them. We're small but still powerful."

Buffy winces at Angel's name and the look in her eyes darkens making Marcus chuckle "Still grieving I see. His death was not pretty." Marcus smirks slightly "You should know better than anyone about that. You were there when he died."

Buffy growls and rips the nearby pipe out of the wall and tosses it at Marcus. He raises his hand knocking the pipe away however he misses the table Buffy launches at him next. The table crashes into him sending him crashing backwards and before he can do anything Buffy appears behind the table and kicks him in the gut sending him flying backwards.

Marcus chuckles as he wipes the blood from his face "What is it with you people? You can't defeat us."  
Buffy glares at him before removing her jacket and pulling out the knives she keeps hidden "We'll see about that."

* * *

Oliver stands over the bleeding Derek who was gasping violently as he tried to keep breathing "Kyle." He gasps.  
Oliver takes a deep breath before slowly lowering his hood, allowing Derek to look him in the eye "He's ok. He's just knocked out." He assures him.  
Derek nods "It wasn't his fault." He insists, the guilt evident in his face, he blamed himself "I turned my son into this." He admits.

* * *

Buffy continues to pound on Marcus with her fists, however, as she aims the knife at him he catches her wrist and backhands her sending her crashing against the wall. He moves to approach her again but she swings her leg up knocking him away from her, when he aims a throw at her she ducks underneath before standing up behind him and grabbing the back of his head before lifting him up and dropping him on the ground.

She climbs on top of him and raises the knife prepared to end it however he catches the blade between the palms of his hands just as it is about to hit his eye.  
He throws her off him however she flips through the air before landing on her feet.

"I cannot be killed, girl. No matter what you do they'll just bring me back, as long as you go after the demons in this city."  
Buffy glares at him before shrugging "Well guess I have something to look forward to." She hisses before forcing her hand into his chest.

His eyes widen, not even Angel had the guts to kill him this close and personal but this girl...she looked him in the eye as she grasped his heart in her hands.  
"I'll see you soon." She hisses before yanking out his heart, her hand dripping in blood as she watches his body topple to the ground.

* * *

Oliver sits in the lair, sat on the chair, frozen in silence. He had been sat there for almost an hour now and still hadn't moved a muscle.

As Diggle walks over to him he doesn't move, he still stays perfectly still, trying to process what had happened. It had gotten to him, something which, he had not expected.

"What went down wasn't your fault." Diggle tells him, watching the younger man with sympathy.  
"I didn't say it was." Says as he stares at the wall in front of him.

Diggle sighs, he knew that look on Oliver's face, he blamed himself and he was going to deny it not matter what anyone said, taking a step towards his friend he speaks softly "Oliver, it wasn't your fault, man. You gave Reston a chance. It was more than he deserved."

Surprisingly to Diggle Oliver shakes his head in disagreement "I'm not so sure about that."  
"Well, listen, I'll tell you this much. You say going after the guys on that list is the way you honour your dad, well, if your dad could have seen you this week, they way you cared about the people he had hurt, the way you stepped up to try and help them. I'd say he'd be pretty damn honoured."

At Diggle's words Oliver looks down at the ground, he wanted to believe what he was saying but he didn't know anything anymore "So maybe..." Diggle continues "...there is more than one way to save this city."  
Oliver nods accepting this "Maybe."

Diggle offers him a small smile, before telling him the reason he came down here in the first place "By the way, Stan Washington woke up. He's gonna be fine." He says before heading for the door, as he does his phone starts buzzing "Hello?" He answers as he steps out of the lair.  
 _"John."_ Buffy's voice says quietly _"Can you come get me?"_

* * *

Five Years Ago - Westbury

Buffy stares at the list in front of her; it was pages and pages of names. Names of girls of all ages: girls who now had a new destiny. Girls who needed help. Her help.

"Is this all of them?" Buffy asks as she glances up at Willow a shocked look on her face,

Willow smiles brightly "Not even close. Buffy, there is so many of them, these are just the ones in Europe. I haven't gotten the lists from the others yet, but my bet we're going to need a bigger space to train these girls."

Buffy nods, trying to process everything "Wow." She breaths still stunned.  
She smiles up at Willow "Thanks, Willow." She says gesturing to list.  
"No problem. Now sleep rest. Physical therapy starts tomorrow."

Buffy rolls her eyes but climbs into bed, as she does Willow grins happily before practically skipping out of the room.  
Once the door was closed Buffy grabs her phone, dialling 1 in her speed dial she waits impatiently for the person on the other line to answer.

 _"_ _Hello?"  
_ The voice brings a true smile to Buffy's face "Hey Dawnie."

* * *

Starling City - Present Day

"What happened?" Dean asks Buffy as Stewart is rolled into X-Ray, Buffy glances down at the attractive doctor who was currently holding an ice bag to her bruised hand which was covered in dry blood.

"Buffy." He asks again as he takes her hand in his.

The blonde sighs before breathing deeply as she notices him holding her hand, a worried frown on his face, taking a deep breath she removes her hand from his and stands "I told you the guys called 911 as a way to get us there. They knocked out Stewart took our wallets. That's it."  
Dean looks at her unconvinced "Your hand says you fought back."  
"I got my shots in." She mutters.  
Dean chuckles before looking at her seriously "You could have been killed."  
Buffy chuckles slightly "You really don't know a lot about me."

She smiles at him before standing, grabbing her jacket she heads for the door "Doesn't mean I'm gonna stop trying." He calls out.  
Buffy sighs at his words before stepping into the parking lot.

"Buffy!" Diggle calls from across the parking lot as he spots her coming out of the hospital.

He runs over and immediately spots the cut on her cheek and the dried blood on her clothes and her hands.

"It's not my blood." She mumbles "It's not my blood."  
Diggle's face falls as he watches her start shaking before hugging her tightly.

As he hugs her Buffy finally falls apart, those memories Hamilton had brought up had hit a nerve one she had kept buried for a long time. It wasn't Angel's death that was destroying her right now it was what had happened right before that was making her finally break down in tears as she relives the memory.


	7. Muse of Fire

The smell of coffee causes Buffy to stir from her slumber, she turns on her side and blinks only to find herself in unfamiliar room. It's when she spots the photo of John and Andy on the nightstand that she remembers. She had been crashing there for the past few days. After John had picked her up from the hospital, he had brought her here and she hadn't left other than for work. She just couldn't go home, not in that state. Willow and Xander didn't know what happened that night five years ago, the night Angel had been killed. And she knew if they knew things would never be the same.  
Sighing she pulls herself out of bed and walks out of the room into the kitchen where John was currently pouring two cups of coffee.

He turns to her offering her a small smile before handing her one "Thanks." She mummers, as she sips the piping hot liquid.  
John nods before looking at her with a worried crease on his forehead "Wanna talk bout it?"

"A world of no." She says before walking over to the couch, she sits, tucking her feet underneath her legs.

Diggle nods before moving over to her, he sits next to her and after a few moments of allowing her to enjoy the silence, his voice cuts through the air "You never told me what happened that night. Not properly just that someone you loved was killed. It's why you joined."

Buffy takes a deep shaky breath she had never spoken about it properly, she had cried and broken down but she never answered questions. After a moment she looks over at Diggle "There's more. That night...it may have been five years ago but it still haunts me every day. Cause if I had gotten there in time, then non of it would have happened."  
Diggle looks at her his eyes full of sympathy, after a moment she sniffles slightly "God I'm all mopey. I'm done promise. I should most probably stop abusing your apartment."  
Diggle chuckles "Hey, abuse it anytime you need it."

* * *

Oliver pulls over his motorcycle on the street opposite Queen Consolidated. When he spots his mother coming out of the building with another man he gives her a wave. When she gestures for him to give her a moment he leans back and glances around the street.

His attention is quickly drawn to the other motorcycle driver driving up the street, instead of continuing past Oliver the driver moves onto the pavement approaching Moira and the man.

When Oliver spots the gun in the man's hand he panics "Get down!" He screams just as the driver fires his gun at Moira and the man.  
Oliver watches in horror as the man collapses dead and Moira is knocked to the ground, running as fast as he can across the street he crouches by his mother helping her up "Mum, are you alright?"  
"I'm fine." She assures him as he helps her sit up.  
"Are you sure?" He asks, still staring at her with a panicked look.  
"I'm—I'm fine."  
Oliver stands and turns to the two guards running towards them "Call 911!" He exclaims before running in the direction the shooter had gone in.

* * *

Five Years Ago, Westbury

"Okay, Buffy just hold that for 30 more seconds." Giles says as he circles the blonde slayer, who was currently doing a handstand in the middle of the training room.

Buffy was breathing heavily now and her arms were beginning to shake violently "I can't!" She gasps as waves off pain tumble through her spin where the Demon's claw had sliced bone and nerve endings.

Giles moves closer "Yes you can." He tells her only for her to start to topple a second later. He manages to catch her legs as she topples preventing her from crashing onto her back.

Slowly he lowers her legs to the ground before offering her a hand, Buffy takes it and winces as she stands. She was sweating and breathing heavily when Giles attempts to help her she waves him off "I'm fine." She assures him as she leans against the wall for support taking heavy breaths.

After a moment Buffy allows her frustration and anger to fill her and the next thing she knew her hand was buried in the wall.

"It damaged me, Giles." She whispers are she removes her hand from the wall and storms out of the room.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day 

"So did you get the license plate?" Thea asks her brother as they leave Moira's hospital room.

Oliver shakes his head "No, he got away."

Thea scoffs and looks at him sceptically, it was very obvious that she was pissed at him "Maybe you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero. You're obviously not very good at it."

"That's cute." He comments, not liking her attitude but still smiling at her despite it.  
Thea just continues to look at him blankly "Wasn't trying to be." She was furious that he had left their mother alone, but managed to reign in her emotions "You left mom in the street, alone and hurt in the street..." She scoffs still trying to digest what he had used as an excuse "...to get a license plate?"

Oliver's face falls and he steps closer to his sister, a hurt look on his face "You don't believe me?"  
Thea sighs "I love you, mom loves you, but it's getting hard when you won't be truthful with us."

* * *

Buffy carefully places her key in the front door lock, trying to be as quiet as possible. She knew the second Xander and Willow heard her there was going to be a big commotion, her first few days off work and she disappeared, they would be panicking.

Just as the lock clinks and she pushes the door open she thinks that maybe she'll have time to get a shower in before the inevitable yelling.

However, she was sadly mistaken as the second the door opens both Xander and Willow who were arguing in the kitchen freeze at the sight of the blonde before running over to her.

"Are you okay?!" The two ask in unison, however, when they start firing question after question she rubs her temple where a very strong migraine was threatening to destroy her.

"Guys!" She exclaims finally silencing them "I'm fine. I just—" Buffy pauses and walks over to the living room where she sits on the couch "I was on a call and it was a set up we were attached."

Xander's eyes widen "What?! What happened?"  
"Wolfram and Hart." Buffy hisses laughing at the irony of it all, the company that had been the end of Angel was now after her.  
Willow's eyes widen in shock "What I thought..."

"We thought wrong." Buffy finishes, they had thought Wolfram and Hart were gone but things were never as simple as they seemed in their lives "They sent some douche guy, super strength and all, he gave me a warning. He wants me to stop going after the demons."

Xander sighs, running his hands through his hair, it was all clear now, who was behind the masking of the demons "They are working with the Triad."  
"That's what I'm thinking." Buffy confirms "I'm thinking Wolf-y provides the mojo, they pay Triad to hide the demons in a position of power in civilisation."

Buffy sighs before grabbing her bottle of bourbon from under the table and grabbing her glass, pouring herself a drink.

Willow and Xander glance at the blonde as she takes a sip of the harsh liquor before looking at each other. Both had the same look on their faces, a look of worry, there was something Buffy wasn't telling them.

"He knew things." Buffy mumbles quietly "About that night." She turns to the two of them "The night five years ago..." Buffy stops speaking and takes another drink. A single tear slips down her cheek. She clenches her eyes shut before standing abruptly and heading towards the shower slamming the door shut.

Willow glances at Xander, neither of them new what had happened that night. Buffy had never told anyone that they know of. And from the look of things, those memories were being forced to the surface and it was threatening to over take her.

"We need to let her tell us." Xander says quietly "If we push, we'll lose her again."

* * *

As Oliver continues to work out his anger and frustrations on the punching block in front of him.

His speed and ferocity increase the longer he continues to do this. When Diggle enters the cave Oliver still continued to throw punches not stopping or even slowing down to acknowledge Diggle's presence.

"Oliver, your mom was nearly killed." He says loudly trying to get the boy's attention "I think you can take a day off training."

Oliver finally stops only to immediately back away from Diggle and step over to the computer "My mother wasn't the target. This man was." He says as he points to the images of the man that had been killed, which filled his screen.

"Paul Copani." Oliver informs Diggle "He was trying to close a deal with her when they were shot at. Copani works for Bertinelli Construction and Frank Bertinelli."  
Diggle's eyes widen stunned, this was bad "The mob boss?"

Oliver nods as he takes a seat in front of the computer, still slightly out of breath from his workout "I did some digging. Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew who's been hit."  
Diggle nods running his hand over his jaw as he circles Oliver, observing him carefully "You did some digging."

Oliver sighs letting out a heavy breath "Bertinelli has a lot of enemies. The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organisation is to get inside of it."  
Diggle shakes his head, he wasn't impressed by Oliver's behavior, he was acting erratic and wasn't thinking things through, whatever he did now wasn't going to end well "So let me get this right, Oliver. Your mother is shot at, nearly killed, and the way you process this emotionally is by going undercover with the mob."

* * *

Buffy runs out of the ambulance, she turns to the temporary partner Daniel "Get the gurney ready." She orders as she runs over to the crash site.

As the other ambulance helped the family Buffy focuses on the car that was currently laid on its side, inside was a young woman. Buffy grabs a nearby metal pole before climbing up the side of the vehicle so that she could stand over the window.

Knocking on the glass the woman inside cries slightly before turning to Buffy and gasping relieved "Help me!"  
Buffy offers her a small smile "I'm going to sweetie. What's your name?"  
"Zo—Zoey." She stutters as she continues to cry.

"Okay Zoey, I need you to cover your eyes and look away from the window."  
Zoey immediately begins panicking, her breathing was becoming erratic "What—why I don't understand."

"I have to break the glass to get you out." Buffy tells her, speaking softly trying to sooth the girl "Can you do that for me?"

After a brief hesitation, Zoey turns away from the glass.  
Buffy sighs before swinging the metal pipe at the window and smashing it.  
Buffy leans down so that she could reach further into the car "How you doing?" She asks Zoey as she begins assessing the damage.

Her leg was trapped under the steering well, there was a large bruise on her forehead from where she bashed her head on the steering well, there was also blood covering her face, from where the glass from the windshield had hit her during the crash.

Buffy frowns in worry as she spots the dislocated shoulder, there was no way this girl was going to be able to move on her own. Buffy knew she was going to have to get in there just to un-trap her leg then pull her out herself.

Buffy reaches under the steering wheel ready to free her leg "Okay Zoey I have to get you out of this car. And honey, it's going to hurt a lot."  
Zoey nods as tears drip down her face "Okay. I—I can't feel my leg."

Buffy's eyes widen and she quickly reaches out for her leg "Okay Hun, look I have to get you out now and pop it back into place or you might lose it. I'm not going to sugar coat it sweetheart this is going to hurt. Bad."  
Zoey nods petrified but holds her breath.

Buffy thinks for a moment running her plan through her head before she places the pipe in between the wheel and pushes down. As the wheel rising she grabs a hold of Zoey and yanks her up pulling her from the vehicle.

"Daniel!" Buffy yells as she drags Zoey out of the car, Daniel turns away from the man he was helping and grabs the gurney, running over to Buffy.

The two place Zoey on the gurney "Hold her." Buffy tells him as she takes a hold of Zoey's leg causing the girl to cry out.  
"On 3. 1...2..." On two, Buffy pushes her leg until there is a loud snapping noise.

"Let get her up." She says to Daniel before giving the girl's hand a squeeze and loading her into the van.

* * *

"It's no problem." Tommy tells Oliver as the billionaire thanks his best friend for coming over to check on the Queens "Just as long as your mom's all right."  
Oliver nods swiftly "Yeah." He says quickly before moving around Tommy and heading towards the door.

Tommy hesitates for a second before stopping him "Hey, one more thing." He freezes confused as to how to get the words out and worried about Oliver's reaction to them "Mainly because I don't want you to find this out from someone else, that someone else especially being Laurel..." Tommy sighs and takes a deep breath before rushing out the words "We're going to dinner as in a date." He stutters.

Oliver surprises him by smiling "That's good. Laurel deserves someone special and so do you."  
Tommy smiles, relief filling him "Thanks, man."  
"I got to run to this thing." Oliver says gesturing to the door.  
Tommy nods, backing away allowing Oliver to head for the door "Absolutely. I'll catch you later?"

Oliver chuckles before turning back to face his friend "Oh, and uh Tommy, if you hurt her I'll snap your neck." He says seriously before smiling at the look of terror that quickly covered Tommy's face "Just kidding."

* * *

"Thank you." Zoey calls out to Buffy as she is wheeled towards the ICU.

Buffy offers her a smile 'Your Welcome' she mouths with a smile as she watches the young woman disappear behind the doors.  
It was nice, knowing that she had saved this woman, not from a demon, not by killing but by normal means. She didn't have to be superwoman or anything like that to help people.

She stands there for another moment before sighing, she turns to make her way to the door only to freeze as she spots Dean talking to one of the nurses. She panics slightly and her heart beat picks up, her palms become sweaty and that's when she realises something. She liked him.

As he moves to turn in her direction she panics and hides in the next hall behind the wall.  
As he walks past without seeing her, Buffy slaps herself on the forehead "Stupid, stupid." She hisses, she had actually hid from him. She felt like such a moron.

* * *

"So, Oliver, I must say..." Frank Bertinelli says as he hands Oliver a glass of Bourbon before sitting opposite him "I was surprised to hear from you. It was my impression from the local news that you weren't going to be involved with your family's business."

Oliver offers both Frank and his associate a smile "Apparently there were a few catch phrases that I missed while I was away for five years, one of them being lamestream media."  
Frank laughs, amused making Oliver force a smile on his face "The press never gets anything right."

Frank nods in understand, he knew a lot about the media, knew ways to avoid getting caught by them "Ah, I know a thing or two about that. So, Oliver, I'll be blunt."  
Oliver who had been distracted by Frank's associate leaving the room turns back to the mod boss and nods "Hmm."  
"I want the contract to build Queen Consolidated's new applied sciences division."

* * *

Buffy grabs Diggle's arm as he swings his fist in her direction, she twists it behind his back before shoving him away.

She swings her leg out but Dig catches it and twists her ankle causing her flip around and land painfully on the ground.  
Diggle sighs as he looks down at her, he never beat her in a fight, which meant something was wrong "Buffy. What's up?"

"Nothin." She mummers as she pulls herself back up, she was trying to avoid her feelings and right now that was very obvious.  
"Buff, I hate to admit it but I have never been able to knock you down that easily. What is wrong?"

Buffy groans and rolls her shoulder.

Diggle watches her with interest trying to figure out what the problem was, it was then that he noticed the signs, signs he hadn't seen in a long time. She was closed off more than usually, was changing the subject, making jokes to avoid a serious talk and she was distracted during the fight.

"Who is he?"

Buffy freezes her body going rigid for a quarter of a second before she laughs nervously "What? Huh? He who? There is no he to speak of."  
Diggle chuckles in amusement, she could be transparent sometimes "Buffy..." He says softly giving her a pointed look "Who is the guy? And do I have to break his neck?"

Buffy laughs, every time he offered not matter the situation or the guy, hell even if it was the pizza guy he offered. He was extremely protective of her and as sweet as it was, it was a little annoying. Looks like she finally got the big brother she never asked for.  
She sits down on the chair in the corner "He's a doctor at the hospital...well a surgeon."  
Diggle crosses his arms and moves to kneel in front of her "And..." He presses.

Buffy tilts her head back to look at the ceiling before turning back to him "I...I like him. More than a friend."  
Diggle nods understanding, he knew exactly why she was hesitating "It's been 3 years Buffy. I think he would be okay with you moving on."  
The blonde blinks before groaning "Ugh." She huffs before standing "I'll think about it." She assures him earning a grin out of him.

Buffy rolls her eyes and hits him in the back of the head with the Bo-staff to her right "Don't get all superior on me John Diggle or I'll start making you talk about the Carly situation."

John shrugs, attempting to convince her that he didn't know what she was talking about "Ain't nothing to discuss."  
"Sure there isn't." She says with a smirk before moving back onto the matt and spinning the Bo-staff in her hand.

* * *

Oliver sits opposite Frank's daughter Helena at the restaurant, he was surprised to find that he was actually enjoying himself, enjoying her company. They had been speaking for hours now and neither had really noticed that they were the last ones left in the restaurant.

"Air conditioning, satellite radio, tagliet—" He lists only to stutter as he cannot pronounce the next word.  
Helena smiles "Tagliatelle?"  
"Right."  
"Hmph."

Oliver pauses before continuing, actually being honest for the first time in a long time about the truth of being back "But those are the answers that I give people because those are the answers they're expecting." He says honestly surprised at how easily he found himself opening up to her.  
"Why can't you just be truthful?" Helena asks as she listens to him intently.  
"I don't know how truthful I can be."

Helena smiles at him, a look of understanding covering her expression "You've been through a crucible and it changed you. How can it not?"

Oliver smiles at her however his attention was quickly drawn to the cross hanging from her neck, "That's a beautiful cross."  
Helena smiles nervously, her body tensing slightly "It's a gift from my fiance."  
Oliver immediately feels disappointed, he hadn't known and it upset him slightly that she was unavailable, the first person he had found himself able to open up to and she was engaged "Fiance. I didn't know you were engaged."

"I'm not." She says stunning and confusing him "Not anymore, he died."

* * *

Buffy was using the pommel horse in the apartment when Xander enters, holding a leather paper folder "Buff."  
Buffy continues to spin and do twists before pushing herself up to a handstand "Yeah?" She asks as she looks through her arms and other at Xander.

He steps into the room and flips through the folder "Couldn't get anything on this Hamilton guy, Willow is looking into it...but...I found the next name on the list." He hesitates "We're still doing said list?"

"Yeah." Buffy tells him as she jumps down and stretches out her arms. After moment, she approaches him and takes the file.

"Joshua Stevenson." She reads.

Xander nods as he attempts and quickly fails to lift up the weights that Buffy had been using earlier. After his failed attempt he turns to the blonde "Get this, he's a lawyer at the District Attorney's office."  
Buffy clenches her jaw, this wasn't good, she would have to be more careful to not get caught. The people at the District Attorney's office were not the people she wanted to catch her.

* * *

"What happened?" Oliver asks the second Dig answers the phone.  
 _"Y_ _eah, it's what's about to happen. Bertinelli's enforcer, Nick Salvati."  
_ "Yeah." Oliver answers as he remembers meeting Nick at Frank's home "We drank a scotch together. He seems like a real stand up mobster."  
" _Yeah, well he's been paying a visit to everyone who owes the mob protection money."_

Oliver sighs this was not what he wanted to hear, his main and only focus was finding the person that shot at and almost killed his mother, nothing else mattered "Diggle, I'm trying to figure out who took a shot at my mother, not take on all of organised crime."

 _"_ _Well listen, Oliver, Salvati and his goons have already put four people in the hospital tonight and if somebody doesn't stop him, the poor bastard who owns Russo's going to be next."_

Oliver freezes "Diggle I'm here right now."

* * *

Buffy was placing the knives along the lining of her suit, as she places her belt on Willow enters the room "Hey ninja girl."  
Buffy chuckles slightly but doesn't speak as she continues to get ready.

Willow frowns, Buffy had been quiet since she got back from her training session with John, she had just walked into the apartment and had gone straight to her training room.  
Willow sighs as she watches Buffy slip on her thigh length platform boots, she hesitates slightly, not wanting to push Buffy away but there was something weighing on the blonde's shoulders.  
"Buffy? You got to tell me what's up with you, I can't stop worrying and neither can Xander."  
Buffy sighs and lets go of her mask, she turns to face her best friend and leans against the back wall playing with the knife in her hands.

"I..." She stutters slightly after her talk with Diggle it was still hard to admit "I have feelings for someone."  
Willow's eyes widen, that had been the last thing she had expecting Buffy to say. She exhales softly before smiling "Buffy that's a good thing."  
"That's what Dig said." Buffy says with a groan as she taps the blade on her wrist "But I don't know."

Willow smiles before approaching her best friend "Buffy I know it's hard. To let someone in after what happened last time." She takes Buffy's hand in hers "But it can be so worth it." She pauses and watches the blonde as she contemplated and internally tried to process everything she was feeling.

Hesitantly Willow speaks softly "Lincoln's gone."

Buffy's eyes widen, it had been so long since anyone had said his name around her, but it still hurt the same "I know you loved him but you can't do one night stands and no feelings for the rest of your life. Maybe it's time for something serious."

Buffy who was looking at the ground takes a shaky breath and blinks tightly forcing the tears and all the emotion back down to where she kept it hidden. Finally, she looks at Willow, her eyes full of vulnerability "How do I know if I'm ready?"  
"When is anyone ever ready?"

* * *

Oliver moves to attack the man in the helmet that had attached his mother, as he enters the restaurant.  
Swinging his bow to try and knock the man down, however, he easily ducks and swings his fist out at Oliver.  
Oliver grabs his wrist only for the man to send a kick to his stomach.

Oliver blocks the next kick and punches the man in the chest causing him to stumble into a nearby statue knocking it to the ground.  
Oliver blocks the man's arm as he swings at him again and sucker punches before punching his hand through the helmet and yanking it off their head.

Immediately he freezes as it was not a man stood before him but Helena. Helena had been the one that shot at his mother.  
He was so stunned that when she ran he didn't move, he was still frozen.

* * *

Buffy climbs up the fire escape of the District Attorney's office. As she reaches the final floor she peaks her head through the window, the office was empty but sat on the desk was a nameplate _'Joshua Stevenson'  
_ "Bingo." She breathes as she places her mask over her lips.

Silently she opens the window and steps inside the small office. As she snoops around she freezes as hears footsteps approaching the door, she quickly flips over the table and moves behind the door just as it opens and a man steps inside.  
"Yes. Mr Hamilton I understand." Joshua says as he enters his office.

Buffy's eyes widen at the name, she quickly grabs onto the top of the door and pulls herself up onto the ceiling, she stabs two knives into the ceiling to keep herself up as she continues to listen in on their conversation.

"Yes, let the partners know they have my full support." Joshua continues as he moves to sit at his desk "Oh, I'm sure this girl won't be a problem much longer."  
Buffy scoffs 'Girl?' She mouths getting slightly irritated.  
"If she comes for me she won't be getting any information about the deal with the Triad, you can trust me on that."

Buffy smirks, he just confirmed her theory, he literally just spilled the fact that Wolfram and Hart were working with the Triad.

As Joshua hangs up the phone and turns to face the window Buffy leaps down landing on his desk silently.  
He doesn't notice her at first until while looking at his own reflection he gasps as he spots the blonde hair.

Buffy smirks, a gleam appearing in her eyes "I don't think we've met. I'm the Slayer." She says before throwing a bag over his head.

* * *

Oliver was walking through his house when the doorbell rang, pausing in his steps he heads towards the front door. As he opens it he is shocked to find Detective Lance standing there "Detective. Is everything ok?"

Lance merely steps inside not waiting for an invitation before answering the question "Your um—your buddy with the arrows was at Russo's last night."  
Oliver nods "And I was there earlier with a date." He says honestly, not scapegoating around the subject "So what, you think I'm the hood guy again?"

Lance scoffs chuckling softly "No. Your date, Helena Bertinelli, if I were you, I'd stay away from her. Her family is bad news on a good day."

Oliver tilts his head in amusement, it was slightly amusing Lance showing any concern for his well-being "Why the sudden concern for my well being?"  
Lance freezes, his jaw locking, he hesitates not wanting to have to admit his mistake "A few weeks ago, I made a mistake. I almost got you killed."

Oliver continues to stare at Lance, something was off "And you felt like you owed me one?"  
"If I did." He replies hypothetically "As far as I'm concerned, this clears the books." He says before giving Oliver a nod and heading back out the house.

* * *

Buffy sits with her legs crossed on the table opposite Joshua sharpening her scythe as she waits for him to wake up. After a few more minutes she glances at her watch and groans in annoyance he had been out all night, she hadn't meant to hit him that hard.

She glances back at him to see drool running down his face, she huffs in frustration before jumping off the table and grabbing the bucket of water by her side and pouring it over his face.

"Ahh! What the hell!" Joshua exclaims as he is shocked awake, he looks around the room and as his eyes hit Buffy he groans, "Let me guess Buffy Summers."  
Buffy smirks slightly before lowering her mask "Well, hello to you too."

Joshua glares at her as he pulls at the restraints, he may be a demon but forcing his body into this human form was weakening his powers.

Buffy smirks slightly, enjoying this too much, she circles the demon as she swings the scythe in her palm "I'm not telling you shit." He hisses.  
"Other than the fact that Wolfram and Hart made a deal with the Triad."

Joshua's eyes widen making the smirk on Buffy's face widen "How did you—"  
"So tell me about Mr Hamilton." She says as she cuts him off and crouches in front of him.  
The demon glares at her "That's not gonna happen."

"Let me guess he's not a demon." She rambles on "My guess the big men in suits pumped him up good with mojo. To make sure no one gets close to this deal. How my doing so far?"

As Joshua continues to glare at her Buffy grabs a chair from the corner of the warehouse and places it in front of him.

Placing her scythe to the side she pulls out two blades from each thigh and drives one into each of his hands "Ahh! You crazy bitch!"

"Learning is a painful process." Buffy says clearly not listening to him "Like when you're a kid and your bones are growing." She tilts her head and looks at the blood dripping from his hands before focusing on his face, grabbing his chin he forces him to look at her "You know you demons never learn. I will kill and torture as many of you as it takes yet you don't get that." She forces his chin away before slamming her hands down on the blades forcing them all the way through his hands "You keep pushing." She forces herself off her chair and grabs the scythe "You can tell your bosses that I'm not gonna stop so they can send whatever douche suit wearing bags they want because I will take them down."

Buffy stands behind him and grasps the back of his head roughly before shoving the stake end of the scythe through his chest.

* * *

"Michael wasn't the one talking to the FBI." Helena admits as her and Oliver are strapped to chairs by Salvati and his men "I was." Salvati scoffs in disbelief "My father is a monster. He doesn't care who he hurts to keep his money and power, and I wanted it to stop."

"Well, then it's your fault Michael's dead, not your father for ordering the hit or me for carrying it out. Yours."

* * *

Buffy walks into the hospital, she glances at the TV in the corner her eyebrow arching when she spots the story talking about the abduction of Oliver Queen and Helena Bertinelli and how they were now safe but the people that took them had been killed.

She quickly glances away, as her attention was drawn to something else, Dean was heading into the staff room.  
Taking a deep breath she moves in the same direction, she had work in 10 minutes so if she was going to do this it was going to have to be now.

When she enters the room Dean had just stripped off his shirt making her pause slightly as she sees his abs.  
She shakes herself and looks around the room, they were the only two in the room, making her way to her locker she notices him watching her.

"Buffy." He says with a smile, still holding his shirt in his hands.  
Buffy turns and offers him the same smile "Dean."  
She grabs her uniform and quickly slipping it over her head; she locks her locker and heads towards him.

Once she was standing in front of him she looks up into his eyes "I won't ignore your attempts."  
Dean frowns in confusion "Wait, what? What did I miss?"  
"I will not avoid you nor pretend that I don't notice your existence."

"You were doing that?" Dean asks stunned, trying to hold back the small laugh threatening to escape his lips.  
"Yep." She says before heading for the door.

Dean stands there frozen for another moment before turning to face her direction "Wait!" He calls making her pause by the door "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Buffy says slowly as she turns to face him "...that if you ask me out on a non-date again. I won't automatically say no. I mean it will probably be a no."  
"But there's a chance." He says as a smile covers his face.  
"Bout 4.5%." She says before heading out the door.

* * *

Helena steps out of her bathroom later that night only to freeze as she spots Oliver standing in her bedroom "I'd ask how you got in here, but the Starling City vigilante comes and goes as he pleases, doesn't he?"

Oliver who still had his back to her nods to himself, honestly he was impressed she had figured it out when no one else had "How'd you know?" He asks curiosity biting at him.

She crosses her arms as he turns to face her, taking a few steps further into the room "I saw you fight and then I saw your eyes. The island changed you in more ways that only someone like me could understand."

Oliver shakes his head in disagreement as he steps closer "No. What you're doing right now, I know that it feels like justice, but it's not. It's revenge."

Helena rolls her eyes, she actually thought that he would understand "Sometimes, revenge is justice."

Oliver sighs, looking at her intently he tried to find the words "Your father killed your fiancé."  
"And what did your father do to you?" She hisses before stepping even closer, invading his personal space "Isn't the man in the hood fighting to set things right? Why is your vendetta more valid than mine? We're the same, you and I."

Oliver shakes his head, refusing to believe that he killed blindly like she did, he takes the finally step towards her and looks down into her eyes "No, we're not."

She scoffs "Hiding in plain sight, concealing our anger with smiles and lies. Don't lie to me, Oliver. You feel the same as I do, I know it." She says not realising that tears were not rolling down her cheeks.  
Oliver, on the other hand, had noticed it "Why are you crying?"  
She looks away for a brief moment before turning back to him "I don't know. Maybe it's because I have been alone in my hate for so long. It feels—"  
"It feels good to tell the truth." Oliver finishes before watching her intently and finally closing the gap between them and kissing her.

* * *

Buffy looks at the empty apartment and grins, it was the first time she had had the apartment to herself since they had moved to Starling. Xander was at a business meeting and Willow was out on a date.  
Buffy grabs the popcorn and bourbon out of the kitchen and dumps it on the couch along with a pint of cookies and cream ice cream.

Just as she settles down prepared to watch bad zombie films there is a knock at her door, she groans in annoyance before standing "Dammit dammit." She moans expecting for it to be Willow or Xander.

Surprisingly when she opens the door there stands Dean holding a Big Belly Burger take away bag.  
The blonde arches an eyebrow at him as she wraps her cardigan around her hiding the scars that we visible on her hip bone.

"Dean." She breathes as she folds her arms "Wha—what are you doing here? You don't have a part-time job as a delivery boy do you cause if you're living off commission I'm not giving you a tip...just so you know."  
Dean chuckles before shaking his head "Actually I brought dinner. Figured we could try that non-date thing."

Buffy blinks, suddenly she was panicking inside, her mind was yelling at her to shut the door and just let it go.  
But she knew she had to do this taking a deep breath she opens the door wider "Would you like to come in?"


	8. Vendetta

Five Years Ago - Westbury

Buffy stares at the mansion in front of her as she sits in the passenger seat of Giles' car...or more appropriately his mid-life crises part 2.

Slowly she climbs out of the car trying not to wince, she was mostly healed now but her nerves were still a little messed up because of the poison, but Willow had assured her it would only last a few more days.

"So this is it huh?" She asks as Giles moves to stand beside her a large grin on his face.

"Yes." He tells her "From my calculations we should be able to house over 200 girls more if we put more than 3 in each room. But it's just a start, I have spoke to the others. Robin is going to head to Asia, Rona to Japan with Kim-Chung. We're having positions all over the globe. This is the start of something great Buffy. I believe that."

Buffy smiles slightly before something occurs to her, how they hell were they supposed to afford all this, not only the mansion but the equipment and supplies they would need to support these girls.

"Giles, this is great and all, but how are we supposed to afford this? We're kind of broke."

Giles smiles at the young woman "Willow was able to transfer the remaining money from the watcher's council too me. And to say they were well benefited is an understatement."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"What did you find?" Buffy asks as she stands beside Willow's chair, in Willow's makeshift office/bedroom.

The young redhead who was slightly hyped on coffee continues to type away at her computer as she continues "Couldn't find a lot on our man in a suit however..." She pauses bringing up an image of a Chinese woman with long white hair.  
Buffy frowns "Who is she?"

Willow smirks, a proud look covering her face "Buffy Summers meet Chien Na Wei or...China White. She's works with the Chinese Triad."  
Buffy exhales shocked, she hadn't expected Willow to find out anything about the Triad that quickly, the Triad were so cautious.  
"She's bad news Buffy, the demon gig isn't all she doing in Starling City."

The blonde glances away from the photo and turns to her a friend a curious look on her face "What else is she up to?"  
"That's what I don't know. But I do know where she is right now." Willow tells her finishing with a large grin on her face making Buffy chuckle.  
"Guess it's time for a bit of recon." Buffy says before making her way to the training room where her suit was being kept.

* * *

Buffy glances around the dark alleyway, her long blonde hair swishing around her as she does. This was the place she knew it, glancing back at the van Willow was currently sat inside across the street Buffy gives her a swift nod, knowing she can see her on the security cameras.

Buffy's head immediately spins back around to face the alley as she spots a car approaching, she runs at the wall using it to push herself upwards so that she can grab onto the metal ladder to the fire escape of the apartment building.

Climbing up a level Buffy pulls herself slightly onto the fire escape, keeping herself out of sight.

" _That's her Buffy."_ Willow confirms as a woman with long white hair walks towards the car.

Buffy watches intently only to freeze as she hears a gun being clocked, she glances down only to find Helena Bertinelli standing below her.

Buffy panics "Willow!" She hisses.  
 _"_ _Buffy you have to stop her. If she kills her now we won't find out anything about the deal and any demons they're working with at the moment we won't be able to find."_

Buffy stretches back her neck groaning in annoyance before grabbing onto the metal handle, she flips over it landing right in front of the brunette.

Helena gasps in shock but tries to take the shot only for the blonde in front of her to snatch the gun from her hand.

Helena growls and tries to attack her but Buffy grabs her arm, twisting it painfully before shoving her against the wall.  
Helena elbows her in the face but it does nothing to defer to blonde who kicks her in the back of the knee making the brunette drop.  
Buffy spins around and swings out her leg knocking Helena onto her back.

Buffy grins to herself before crouching down in front of Helena and grabbing her chin forcing her up to look her in the eye "Stay out of my way. Mention this to anyone and I'll find you." She hisses before pushing the woman back down to the ground.

Grabbing her gun Buffy snaps it in two before tossing it across the floor.

"Kill her!" China orders as she spots the blonde.  
Buffy winces as she realizes the sound must have been heard by China and her men.

Buffy ducks as bullets are fired at her, she flips through the air allowing the bullets to just fly by her as she moves back towards the fire escape.

As she climbs the fire escape she notices The Hood approach Helena who was now holding her broken gun with a shocked look on her face.

Buffy sighs thankful that she didn't need to be the one to deal with Helena. She climbs up the fire escape, but not before throwing a knife at China catching her arm, causing her to cry out.

* * *

"Take your hands off me." Helena exclaims as she shoves Oliver away from her, she was furious: first, the blonde had stopped her then Oliver had shown up prepared to do the exact same thing.

Oliver yanks off his hood and stares at her furiously "What the hell do you think you were doing?"

"That man was the leader of the Triad." She exclaims "My father blames them for the recent hits against his men." She hisses, purposely leaving out what happened with the blonde, she may be pissed but she wasn't stupid, she had seen that woman snap her gun in half and easily escape bullets flying at her.

Oliver continues to glare at her, he was furious because he cared enough about her that he didn't want to see her in danger "These are men you killed."

"That's right. I take out Zhishan, and the Triad retaliates. I have weakened my father's organization to the point where there is no way that he can survive their onslaught."

* * *

Buffy slams the door shut as she climbs into the back of the van before yanking off her mask "Dammit!" She exclaims.  
Willow who had climbed into the driver's seat sighs "Nothin' huh?"  
"Other than I got to hit a stupid billionaire in the face nope."

"Any idea what she was doing there?" Willow asks, she had watched the cameras and had seen that it was Helena and for the life of her she just couldn't figure out why she had been there putting herself in the fire line of the triad.

"No idea. But she just better stay out of my way." Buffy mumbles as she starts to change back into her jeans while Willow puts the van into drive.

* * *

"I don't know where the next Olympics are at, but you might want to think about signing yourself up." Diggle tells Oliver as he enters the lair only to find Oliver doing a handstand against the wall while doing press-ups.

When Oliver doesn't speak and just continues to exercise Diggle carries on "So you want to talk about last night?" Again Oliver stays silent "Ok. Last time you and I spoke you were on your way to stop Helena Bertinelli from her one woman war against the mafia. How'd that work out for you?"

Diggle then pulls out the newspaper from his pocket and begins to read it aloud for Oliver who was still silent "Nick Salvati, Frank Bertinelli's right hand was found with his neck snapped along with a few of his thugs. Was that her or you?"

Oliver sighs before lowering his legs down from the wall so that he can stand and face Diggle "I was with Helena when somebody jumped us. We didn't have a choice."  
Diggle freezes as he considers the meaning of Oliver's words, one in particular was standing out to him "We?"

"She knows, Diggle." Oliver informs him as he walks away towards the computers, Diggle close behind him "About me. It was my secret or her life."  
"It's not just your secret anymore, Oliver." Diggle hisses, as Oliver heads past the computers and over to the salmon ladder.

* * *

Buffy was still in bed fast asleep when her work phone went off, she groans before grabbing the phone off the side table and moaning in annoyance. It was first her day off and now she had to go in. She was exhausted, nightmares keeping her up half the night, making her toss and turn. Pulling herself up she climbs out of bed and quickly slips on her uniform.

Running into the living room where Xander was currently sat in a suit at the table sipping coffee she paused snickering slightly, she had never seen him a suit.

"Heyya Nick Fury." She jokes as she pours herself some coffee and grabs Willow's hairbrush off the couch and quickly runs it through her hair.  
Xander glares up at her before pointing to his eye patch "My eye patch is way cooler."

"Yeah but you're not rocking the leather look. Ergo he is cooler."  
Xander rolls his eyes before placing his paper back on the table and glancing at the blonde "So how was it?"

Buffy assuming that he was talking about last night sighs "Stupid princess got in the way. I left her for The Hood to deal with."  
Xander chuckles "Actually I was talking about the date."

"Oh." Buffy mumbles as her eyes go wide, she quickly shakes her head before tossing the brush on the couch and grabbing her work jacket "It wasn't a date." She denies as she grabs her bad and heads for the door.

As the door closes behind her Xander smiles in amusement "Denial." He sings before returning to his paper.

Helena stares at Oliver in disbelief, she watches her father leave the room before scoffing and shaking her head.

"Was I not clear that I wasn't interested in talking?" She asks him as she walks down the staircase and approaches him.

"You don't have to talk." He says giving her a pointed look towards the security cameras in the living room, he gestures to the front door opening it for her.

After a brief hesitation she grabs her jacket and follows him as he leads her to Sara Lance's grave.

* * *

"Possible neck fracture." Buffy says to one of the doctors as she wheels the 25-year-old man into the ER "Bleeding heavily from the left vertebral. He's gonna need a transfusion."  
Buffy hands off the man with a sigh before making her way to the staff room.

"Hey." A voice says just before she could enter the room.  
She turns only to spot Dean walking over to her, she can't help the smile that grazes her lips as he approaches "Hey." She says as she walks into the staff room him following her.  
"So what are you doing tonight?" He asks curiously as he leans against her locker so he can look at her.

Buffy arches an eyebrow at him "Oh you know, cleaning out my torture chamber in preparation for the next victim." She jokes earning a laugh out of him.  
"How bout dinner?" He asks hesitantly, almost nervous of what her answer would be.

Buffy chuckles slightly before arching a brow at him in amusement "Dinner?"  
"You—you know...you and me. A date." He stutters making Buffy smiles.  
She steps closer to him, teasing him slightly "No."  
Dean's face falls "What—"  
"I like the term non-date."

Dean breaths out a relieved breath and carefully takes one of her hands in his "Buffy Anne Summers, would you like to go on a non-date out to dinner with me tonight?"

Buffy freezes as he takes her hand, her breathing picking up slowly after a moment she looks up at him before shrugging "I guess. Since you're begging."

She steps away from him a smirk on her face before grabbing her phone out of her locker and closing it "I'll see you tonight." She says as she turns to face him waking backwards towards the door "8 sharp, don't be late."  
As she leaves the room Dean is left there standing in astonishment, this girl was really a mystery.

* * *

Helena grins as the arrow knocks the tennis ball out of her hands and into the metal pipe behind her.

She turns and looks over at a grinning Oliver "I can do this all day" He tells her, clearly showing off.  
"I love a man with stamina." She says with a smile as he moves to sit down next to her placing the bow on the table as he does.

"Our crusades have something in common." Oliver tells her "Mine started with my father, too." Slowly he brings out his father's notebook with the list and shows it to Helena "He left me with a list of people who need to be reminded that Starling City isn't theirs for the taking."

Helena stares at the list in astonishment, there were so many names that she recognized "Anthony Venza is in here." She states as the name immediately draws her attention "He works for my dad. He—he deals illegal prescription pills."

Oliver can't help but enjoy the sight of her so interested in what he was trying to do, however before he could get another word in Diggle enters the lair, clearly not happy with his guest.

"Diggle, this is Helena. Diggle is my associate." He says struggling to find the right description.

Helena turns her attention away from the book to Diggle who was very clearly not amused "Well, any associate of Oliver's..."

Diggle cuts her off "Is absolutely nothing to you, ma'am."

* * *

"How was your trip to Australia?" Willow asks as she enters Walters office "You know I've been once it was really really cool lots of kangaroos." She chuckles slightly as she remembers what happened when her and Xander had gone together to find some Slayers "My best friend got punched in the face by one it was funny but not so pretty afterward."

When Walter looks at her impatiently and clearly not amused by her babbling she shuts her mouth "You had something important to tell me, Miss Rosenberg."

The redhead freezes for a brief second before nodding "Yep." She says waving the piece of paper in her hands "It's about Tempest, your wife's mysterious LLC, the one she diverted company funds to."

Walter nods, although intrigued he forces himself to turn away  
"I appreciate your diligence on this, but um, it was a simple misunderstanding between my wife and I. Everything's been resolved."

Willow frowns before shaking her head, she hated being the one to tell him this she really wished that his wife had done it "See, it hasn't." She mumbles making his head swing around to face her, she clearly now had his full attention.

"Okay..." She says slowly "The money that was transferred, there was an ity bity thing about it. The money your wife withdrew from the company, I wasn't the only one who tracked it. She was being shadowed by another entity, and whoever it is, they're good. Not as good as me but NSA good." She takes a deep breath before placing a piece of paper in front of him "I may have taken a break from hacking years ago but I'm better than ever so I was able to find that little crumb they left in our system."

Walter looks down at the paper, it was an image, a circle with lines going in all different directions "Well, one image." Willow finishes "Does this symbol mean something to you, sir?"

Walter hesitates before snatching the paper off his desk and standing "No." He says as he circles the table to face Willow "What means something to me is one of my employees prying into my wife's private business without authorization, and should it happen again I'll have you suspended. Is that clear?"

Willow stares in disbelief he was the one who started this now he was threatening her. However his threat only made her know he was hiding something, and Willow being Willow needed to know more. So she offers him a small smile "Crystal."

* * *

"You gonna tell me what's wrong?" Buffy asks as she does a back flip away from Diggle who had just swung the Bo-staff at her.

When he doesn't speak and just approaches her again and tries to swing the Bo-Staff at her she raises her hands capturing it between her hands before it could hit her in the head. She kicks his knee causing him to stumble before twisting the staff out of his palms, she spins around swinging the Bo-Staff knocking him in the stomach. As he drops to his knees Buffy rolls over his back before placing a foot on his back and forcing him down to the ground, the Bo-Staff pointed at the back of his neck "Talk Dig."

When he taps out she releases him before helping him up and looking up at him seriously "Come on John, spill. Don't make me beat it out of you..." Buffy pauses as she realises that is basically what she just did "...or continue to do so."

Diggle sighs before moving to sit down on the table "Just questioning everything at the moment."

Buffy smiles sadly at her friend before tossing the Bo-Staff on the ground and moving over to him "This have anything to do with the top secret thing you and Oliver are doing that you think I don't know about." She teases as she nudges him.

When he turns to her an astonished look on his face she merely rolls her eyes before arching an eyebrow at him "Four years and you still think you can keep secrets from me." When she notices his slight panic she tries to reassure him "I don't know what you're doing exactly...but I know it's something. But I trust you it's why I helped you. I know that whatever you're doing, you believe it's the right thing to do. That's good enough for me. You don't have to tell me what it is but tell me what's got you all crazy angry fighting pants."

Diggle chuckles slightly, he should have known she would figure it out, she was his best friend, he'd never been able to keep secrets from her. Not about Lyla or Andy, she just knew when something was bothering him. But she knew him well enough when to push and when not too.  
"Oliver's involved a woman with what we're doing...but I don't trust her."

Buffy nods in understanding, trust was always important especially when you're working with someone "He trusts her blindly, he just won't listen."

Buffy sighs and tries to think of something to say that would help him, placing a hand on his shoulder she turns to him "Then don't tell him. Make him see."

* * *

Oliver and Helena stand on the roof watching as the police arrest Anthony Venza.

Oliver smiles before turning to her, he had shown her that she didn't have to do this her way anymore, "Millions of dollars' worth of illegal drugs confiscated, a massive blow to your father's criminal proceeds, and nobody had to die. Justice. What do you think?"

Helena stares at him and can't help to smile that forms on her face "I think this feels good, and not the justice part." She whispers leaning forwards before kissing him.

* * *

"He was a big jerk." Willow hisses as she lies on Buffy's bed playing with the blonde's fuzzy stuffed pig Mr Gordo.

Buffy who was currently going through her wardrobe glances back at her friend "Wasn't he the one that wanted you to look into Mrs Queen anyway?" She asks as she pulls out a black silk dress only to shake her head "Do not want to look like a hooker."  
"Exactly!" Willow exclaims as she sits up to look at the blonde only to shake her head at the sight of the black dress "Not that one."

Buffy nods and continues to go through her wardrobe, trying to ignore her shaking fingers, she hadn't been on a date in a long time, honestly, she hadn't done anymore more than a one-night stand here and there since Lincoln and she was terrified.

As Buffy finds a deep red velvet dress she pauses, it came to just above her knees and was very tight ( . )

The back was tall so it would cover her scars, even though the arms were shorter she only had one or two scars on her arms and they would be covered by her jacket. She wasn't exactly looking forward to the questions he would have so this would maybe prevent that for a while. Buffy grabs the dress and turns to Willow who grins "That's the one."

Buffy smiles and while she changes she listens to Willow who continues to rant "I feel like there's a massive part of this puzzle I'm missing."  
"Then keep digging." Buffy tells her as she pulls on the dress before grabbing her black heels.

Willow thinks for a moment "It's that symbol, I know it. Whatever Tempest is...a huge part of it is this symbol. I can feel it, Buff."

Willow pauses in her rant as Buffy turns around to face her, she was now wearing the dress, her heels, her hair was in a messy high ponytail which somehow just worked, she had on a deep rough lip stick and had grabbed a silver clutch to complete to look "You look stunning, Buff."  
Buffy blushes slightly "Thanks."

Willow sighs as she notices Buffy adjusting the back of the dress, the girl could be really self-conscious. "You can't see the scars. Except the one on your calf." She says gesturing to the thin scar on Buffy's calf, which was mostly covered by her shoes.

Buffy smiles before tucking her hair behind her ear "So umm...anyway, did Xander get anything on the next name on the list?" She asks hoping to get the attention off her.  
"Nope." Willow tells her "But when I saw him at lunch he was close...oh and he had beaten his balance a ball on your forehead record."

Buffy chuckles in amusement before placing a knife in her bag, when she notices Willow watching her she shrugs "Just in case."

Willow sighs however before she could say anything the doorbell goes off, she grins and runs to the door yanking it open only for her jaw to drop as she spots the extremely attractive doctor standing at the door.  
"Wow." Willow mumbles as she stares at Dean.

"Um...is Buffy here?" Dean asks hoping for the redhead in front of him to stop staring at him at some point.

Dean pauses as he spots Buffy step into the room, a smile covers his face "There's the woman in question."

Buffy chuckles before grabbing her black leather jacket and turning to Willow "Willow I'll be home in a couple of hours."  
Willow nods, still not saying anything, she merely backs out of the room leaving a laughing Buffy in her wake.

"You look beautiful." Dean tells her as the blonde turns to him.  
"Thanks, so we're we off to?"

* * *

As Oliver and Helena step into the over-packed restaurant he pauses as he spots the last two people he expected to see here, Tommy and Laurel.

After a brief hesitation, he calls out "Hey!" causing the couple to turn to him and Helena.  
Placing a hand on Helena's back he leads her over to the other couple, Laurel was merely staring at them while Tommy laughs nervously "Hey, Oliver and someone."  
"Tommy, Laurel, this is Helena."

Helena smiles sweetly at the two of them and holds out her hand towards Tommy "Nice to meet you."  
Tommy smiles at the young woman "Pleasure."

When Helena turns to Laurel the brunette lawyer hesitates before forcing a smile on her face and taking Oliver's dates hand "Likewise."  
Oliver offers his ex a small smile "You look beautiful."  
"Thank you."

At that moment the waitress walks over to the four of them and turns to Oliver "Mr Queen, your table is ready."  
Laurel clearly partially irritated turns to the waitress "When is our table going to be ready?"  
The waitress forces a smile on her face, she had been dealing with both Tommy and Laurel for half the night now "When it is." She explains.

Helena thinks for a moment before an idea comes to her, she turns to Tommy and Laurel "Why don't you both join us?"

Both Oliver and Tommy immediately start to panic and argue however Laurel voice cuts through the noise "We'd love to."

* * *

"You certainly know your audience." Buffy says with a laugh as she and Dean walk through the park with pizza in their hands.  
Dean chuckles "Yeah, I figured you weren't one for fancy restaurants."

"Oh, I can be." She tells him "But this works too. Anything pizza related works. What can I say...I'm a cheap date."

Dean smiles and takes another bite of his pizza as he walks beside the blonde "So..." He starts "I realised that I don't know a lot bout you. Other than you're a pretty bad ass paramedic..." Buffy chuckles "...and whatever I could convince Stewart to tell me."  
Buffy arches a brow as the two come to a stop on top of the bridge at the lake in the park "You bribed Stewart."  
"Yeah." He says as he rubs the back of his neck nervously "Guy basically conned me out of 100 bucks."

Buffy laughs in amusement before looking up at the stars, growing up in L.A she had never really seen much of the stars, not until she moved to Sunnydale.  
Dean watches her intently before taking a deep breath "But something I picked up myself was the twinge of sadness."  
Buffy freezes before tearing her gaze away from the sky and back to him "Why do you think I'm sad?"  
"Your eyes."

Buffy sighs, taking a heavy breath she looks over at the lake as she speaks "Five years ago... I lost someone I loved. It broke me to the point I couldn't look at my friends or family anymore, so I left...I joined the army did a tour in Afghanistan for about 9 months, to say it left me in pieces is an understatement." She pauses and turns to looks at him seriously, there was more and he knew it "While I was there I met someone, his name was... Lincoln. I loved him and he died." Buffy chuckles to herself slightly to keep from breaking down "Ready to run yet?"  
Dean smiles and steps closer to her, placing a hand on her cheek "Not a chance. You Buffy Anne Summers are the most stubborn craziest bad ass I have ever met." Buffy smiles nervously "So princess, if you think I'm gonna run you're not as smart as I thought."

* * *

Oliver sits in the lair after the disastrous dinner and merely continues to fix his arrows in silence.  
"Didn't expect to hear from you tonight." Diggle says as he enters the room and stands behind Oliver "Something happen?"  
Oliver sighs, hating to admit that he was wrong "I think you were right."  
Diggle can't help but smirk slightly as he nods "Ok. About which part?"  
"All of it." Oliver answers without turning to face him, Oliver merely places another arrow in his quiver "I should have listened to you."

Diggle sighs and when Oliver continues to refuse to face him Dig circles the table to face him "Oliver, you said you wanted to help her change. The thing is she already did change. When her father killed her fiancé, she changed into something dark and twisted. You see that now, don't you?"  
Oliver shakes his head "It's not that—it's not that I couldn't see it, Diggle. I didn't—I didn't want to."

* * *

"Favourite hobby?" Buffy asks as she and Dean sit on a bench in the park.  
Dean thinks for a moment "Not so much of a hobby, but I have a thing for cars. My brother Sam and I used to fix up our dad's old beat up truck."  
Buffy chuckles as the two continue to question each other, basically playing 20 questions.  
"What about you, blondie?"

Buffy arches a brow at the nickname before shaking her head "TV is obviously a biggy. You know watching movies on silent and making up your own dialogue, that's also up there on the list."

Dean smiles at the slayer, the more time they spent together the more he liked her, which normally he would have just legged it out of there but there was something about this one girl.  
Just as he sees his chance and starts to move in closer to her, her phone buzzes.

Buffy groans before grabbing her phone only to pause as she spot an address from Xander "Dammit." Buffy stands quickly and grabs her bag "Dean I am so sorry, but I have to go."

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Mr Steele?" Willow asks hesitantly as she steps into Walter's office still in her jeans. She had gotten the call and had to come right after Buffy had left on her date.  
Willow pauses "You know did I happen to mention that it was my roommate who saved your life. Which makes it by second removed in terms of friend rules that I saved your life. You wouldn't want to fire the person you second removed saved you right?"

Walter sighs before placing the small notebook he had found in Moira's closet on the table, and sliding it towards Willow "I want you to find out all you can about that notebook—where it was made, how it was purchased, and what it could mean."  
Willow nods and approaches his desk, taking the small book in her hands "Yes, sir."  
"Willow, I asked Josiah Hudson, our head of security to look into the same subject matter. He died the next day under questionable circumstances. What I may be asking of you, this mystery, are you sure you want to do this?"

Willow nods "I grew up in Sunnydale, trust me I know what I'm getting into. And I don't like leaving any stone un-turned."

* * *

 _"_ _Go now Buffy."_ Xander tells Buffy who places on her mask and climbs up into the large warehouse. Buffy freezes as she spots two women currently gagged and tied together on the ground.

She keeps looking around the warehouse and finally, a tall man enters the room on his phone "I understand China. I'll report soon."  
As he hangs up and turns to the two terrified women on the ground he claps his hands together before rubbing them "So you girls ready to have some fun?"

"Okay I take it back kicking his ass is totally worth ruining my night." Buffy hisses before dropping to the ground landing gracefully behind the demon "Hello James." She hisses causing him to turn to face her, however before he could so anything Buffy swings the scythe at him only for him to catch it easily.

He smiles slightly before forcing her backwards "Marcus said you would come." He says sweetly before punching her in the jaw causing Buffy's head to swing to the side, he repeats this again and again.  
Buffy groans in pain but manages to twist the scythe enough so that it falls out of his grasp and he flips in the air landing on his back.

As he stands Buffy runs at him, swinging the scythe she hits him in the face with the blunt end with such strength that it tears through his skin, revealing the red scales underneath the human mask.

She grasps the scythe in both hands and shoves it into his stomach causing him to groan and lean over to clutch his stomach, as he drops to her level she takes the chance and forces the scythe up knocking his jaw, causing him to stumble backwards.

As he backs away Buffy spins the scythe in her hands and swings it at his head however he ducks the blow just in time and backhands her across the face causing her to crash into the metal pillar in the middle of the warehouse.

She is stunned for a moment but she quickly moves to attack again however as she swings the scythe he catches it in his grasps and twists it causing her arms to bend at an awkward angle.

She groans before realising that he had left his side vulnerable, swinging her leg out she kicks him hard causing him to stumble.  
He quickly regains his balance and throws a powerful punch towards her, she quickly ducks and the blow ends up leaving a gaping whole in the metal.

She groans before shoving him away from her and quickly tries to regain her composure.

James laughs before blowing the metal dust and grains off his fist "You're not slipping out of this one girl. You made a big mistake. Can't you see? You can't stop us. There will always be another and Marcus well, he can just keep coming back for more.

Buffy's face fills with fury and she jumps up spinning through the air as she twirls the scythe towards James.  
James stunned for a brief second catches the scythe before it could catch his face, he then punches the blonde in the stomach causing her to fly backwards into the wall of the warehouse.

* * *

Helena stands over her terrified father who was lying on the ground clutching his injured leg. As he stares at her she merely aims her crossbow at him "You finally know what it feels like to find out your own blood is responsible for the death of your entire world."

Just as she is about to pull the trigger an arrow flies at her removing the crossbow from her grasp. Helena gasps before fury fills her, she turns to see Oliver in his uniform.

She moves towards him and stares in astonishment before swinging out her leg.

Oliver steps back easily and merely bends swinging out his arms taking out her other leg causing Helena to flip through the air before landing painfully on the ground.

* * *

Buffy lands on the ground painfully and freezes as she realizes that she had lost her grasp on the scythe however before she could do anything James kicks her in the face with such force that she flies backup crashing back into the wall.

As she lands on the ground she attempts to get to her feet only for James to kick his foot out at her facing knocking her back down.  
As he attempts to grab the scythe Buffy panics she kicks it from his palms causing it to fly upwards out of his grasp, she jumps back up catching it as it falls and leaps up kicking him in the gut. Before doing a spinning kick knocking James down to the ground.

Taking her chance Buffy runs over to him and swings the scythe down attempting to stab him with the stake end however he grasps the stake between his palms, halting her killing blow.  
He laughs before forcing the scythe away from Buffy and knocking her to the ground.

Buffy begins struggling as he pounds on her and doesn't hear Xander's screaming voice in her head.

As she is knocked down to the ground again James strolls away while she struggles to her feet "Your job is done girl. Vampires are gone. Why you consist on killing yourself I don't understand."  
She runs at him only to have him kick his leg out knocking her back down painfully.

Buffy groans in pain as she rolls onto her stomach, her eyes widen as looks up at James who was now clutching the scythe in his hands. He spins the scythe easily, enjoying the humming sound it makes as it moves through the air "I was kinda hoping it would go this way."

"Hey!" A voice exclaims from behind them, suddenly a loud noise goes off and a blue light fills the room. The next thing Buffy knew James was flying across the room.

Buffy looks up to spot Xander and sighs "I told you to stay in the van...but thank you."  
"No problemo Buff. Been wanting to try out this puppy." He says gesturing to the electronic magnifier shooter that Willow had been developing. It was supposed to be used as an EMP but ended up just shooting out large amounts of blue powerful electricity.  
Buffy looks at the glowing weapon approvingly "Pretty badass."  
Xander grins "Who beats Nick Fury now? Huh?"

Buffy shakes her head, too disturbed that Andrew and Xander had managed to make her fluent in nerd speak.  
She sighs before gesturing back to the demon who was currently attempting to stand "Xander..."  
Xander shakes himself and nods "Oh, right. I'm just gonna..."  
"Help the girls." Buffy supplies gesturing to the two women in the corner.  
Xander nods "Yep that." He says.

Buffy chuckles in amusement before turning to face James, the amusement now off her face, she grabs the scythe and twirls it around as he approaches her.

She kicks him in the chest sending him backwards however when she swings the scythe again he ducks, however as he stands Buffy spins around dropping to her knees and swings the scythe one last time and watches as it buries itself in his stomach.

* * *

Oliver crouches next to the still unconscious Helena. After he hand removed the arrow her father had shot her with he had brought her back to the lair but she was yet to wake.

It felt as though he had been holding his breath, waiting for her to finally wake up. After what felt like eternity she gasps taking in large gulps of air.  
"Easy." He tells her softly "Easy. You were lucky."

Helena groans slightly but doesn't turn her face to look at him "Am I supposed to be grateful?"  
"No, Helena—"  
The raven haired beauty cuts him off as she pulls herself up "He's a monster, a criminal. Why would you save him?"

Oliver stands and moves to stand in front of her "I didn't save him. I saved you. You think that because you've killed, you understand what it's like to have blood on your hands. You don't understand. You don't understand the toll that it takes on you, especially when it's your father."

* * *

"He pretty much confirmed it." Buffy says as she sits in Willow's office with Xander at Queen Consolidated.  
"It's all connected. Anyone getting Initiative flashbacks?" Xander says as he raises his hand in agreement with his own statement.

Willow sighs before turning to Buffy "So this Marcus dude, all the demons, China, the mob, Wolfram and Hart. What have we walked into?"  
"Sunnydale 2.0?" Xander offers as he plays with ball on Willow's desk tossing it back and forth across the desktop.  
Buffy groans before rubbing the back of her neck "Basically. Plus I have to worry about whatever Diggle's up to with Oliver...you know..."  
Willow frowns "What Buff? Something cooking in that brain of yours?"

"I just think... if I didn't know any better I'd say, Oliver and Diggle..." When Buffy gives her a pointed look Willow's eyes widen while Xander just frowns in confusion.  
"You think their lovers?" Xander asks still confused.

Willow rolls her eyes before tapping her best friend on the hand sweetly "No honey..." She turns to Buffy "...you think Oliver... is The Hood. No"  
Buffy shrugs "50 bucks says I'm right."

Willow grins before holding out her hand towards her best friend "Deal."

* * *

"You know, Oliver, I'm no expert at this..." Diggle says hesitantly as he sits opposite Oliver in Big Belly "...but I don't think love is about changing or saving a person. I think it's about finding the person who's already the right fit." As he speaks he ends up glancing over at Carly, a smile appearing on his face as he does, he glances back at Oliver and clears his throat "One day you will."  
Oliver scoffs "I think I burnt that particular bridge." He says chuckling to himself as he does "Napalmed it, actually."  
"So things didn't work out exactly as you planned. You did save Frank Bertinelli's life." Diggle points out hoping to cheer the brooding billionaire up "He'll be doing time for a while. Justice wins out."

Oliver nods as he listens before shaking his head at disbelief "Helena doesn't see it that way." He says the sadness and misery at the situation evident in his voice.  
Diggle nods in understanding "You opening up, took a risk with your heart. The Oliver I met a few months ago would not have been able to do that." When Oliver smiles Diggle leans against the table to look at his friend carefully "And when you meet the right person, you'll be ready for her."

Oliver smiles, before teasingly picking up the plate of fried and jalapeños and sliding it towards John. Diggle chuckles and goes to pick one up before laughing and shaking his head, he wasn't insane.

* * *

"Thanks for meeting me." Buffy says as Dean approaches her on the bridge.  
Dean sighs before frowning "Look Buffy-"

"Stop." She says cutting him off. She was trying to gather her courage and it was difficult enough all ready and if he spoke she knew she wouldn't be able to do this.  
"I—I'm sorry I had to bail, my roommate Xander had an emergency."

When she notices him about to speak she steps closer and places a hand on his arm silencing him "Dean...my friends are all I have. I am not the most reliable person, I have a tendency to run off for weird reasons, I have scars that I won't answer questions about. And too say my history with men is complicated is an understatement but...I'm trying."

Dean chuckles before running his hands through his hair "What have I gotten myself into?"  
Buffy takes a deep breath and instead of answering she takes another hesitant step forward and places a hand on his cheek.  
Slowly she leans in and as her lips brush his he brings his left hand up running it through her hair while the other pulls her closer, deepening the kiss.

* * *

After Buffy and Xander had left her office, Willow heads upstairs to Walter's office, as she does she switches off all the lights leaving the two of them in near darkness.  
Walter looks up from his paperwork in confusion, when his eyes land on Willow he frowns "What are you doing?"  
Willow makes her way over to him "It needs to be dark, that's the only way this is going to work."

When Walter gives her a funny look she rolls her eyes "I'm gay." She says instantly making him relax "I'd be more interest in your wife than you." She points out before shaking her head in amusement and hands him the notebook he had given her earlier.

As she pulls out a pair of glasses Felicity had helped her design, Walter continues to flip through the empty pages "I don't see anything."  
Willow nods "I know, that's the point. Anyway..." She hands him the goggles "Felicity gave me these from applied sciences. They're able to pick up the sub-visible variations in the UV spectrum." As he places on the glasses Willow gestures to the book "Now look at the book again"

Walter does as she requests only to be shocked as now the empty pages were filled with names, names he recognized.


	9. Year's End

AN: Hi everyone here's Year's End, sorry I have been taken so long with updates I've been working on this research project for my uni work. So if any or you have five or ten minutes could you please fill out this survey just to lend me a hand so I can get back to writing this story soon. surveymonkey uk/r/7QFYSGP (the co part goes before the uk) I would really appreciate it. Thanks so much. Now here we go back with Buffy and the gang.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

"Good. Now hold it." Giles says as he circles Buffy, who was currently doing a handstand on the pommel horse.  
He watches her for a moment before nodding in approval "Okay, dismount."  
Buffy groans in relief before flipping off the pommel horse and landing on her feet opposite her long time Watcher.

Buffy turns to her Watcher as she stretches out her arms "I'm pretty much healed, Giles. I mean other than that nasty looking scar I'm good."  
As Giles walks over to the wall lined with knives she turns to face him "You know, I love the healing and all that but you'd think that would prevent the nasty scar-age."  
Giles chuckles before picking up a knife off the wall and turning to face Buffy "You may be the slayer but your body is still human. It still scars."  
"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever."

It's then that Giles launches the knife at her, she quickly swings her leg out, kicking the blade away from her.

Buffy chuckles before turning to Giles as he prepares to launch a throwing star, she smiles sadly as she realises something "You know, this may be our last one on one session, old watcher of mine."  
Giles pauses as the reality hits him, she was right, there were hundreds, possibly thousands of Slayers out there now and soon Slayers would be filling this mansion. This was extremely likely to be the last time he and his Slayer would be able to train together.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Buffy moves quickly as she wheels the elderly patient into the ER "Rose Sterling, 64, heart attack. She hit her head when she fell, may have internal bleeding in the brain, there is a swelling in her right eye."

The doctors nod before wheeling the unconscious woman away, Buffy sighs, she knew it was too late, if she had gotten there maybe five minutes before then she could have saved the woman but she knew in her heart it was too late. They wouldn't be able to save her.  
Buffy sighs before moving back towards the ambulance, as she closes the doors and moves to climb inside a voice makes her pause "Hey princess."

Buffy shakes her head in amusement before turning to face Dean "Hi." She says giving him a quick kiss before smiling "So what can I do for you Dr?"  
"I was wondering..." Dean says as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear "Do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"

Buffy freezes for a moment, she hadn't even realised it was Christmas, she hadn't even celebrated it since her mum had died, Dawn and she just hadn't felt up to.  
"Actually um...not likely. Most likely gonna chill with Diggle."  
Dean frowns "Not your roommates?"

"Willow's Jewish." Buffy explains "And Xander will be heading to his family, only to immediately come back Christmas morning after arguing with his family. Christmas day tends to be a let's just get drunk and forget our lives day."  
Dean chuckles in amusement before asking the dreaded question "So you're not gonna see your family?"  
"My mum is not around anymore and I can't exactly talk to my sister so a big no with that. Christmas just really isn't my thing."

* * *

"You crossed three names off your father's list this week alone." Diggle points out to Oliver as they continue to spar, he was obviously impressed by Oliver's sudden focus on the list but there was the hint of worry in his tone. Oliver had been off since the break up with Helena.  
"Yeah." Oliver says as he blocks Diggle's arm "Well, some of these guys are just giving it up now. All I got to do is pay them a visit."

Diggle nods before raising his arm, which is immediately blocked by Oliver "Seems the vigilante's reputation is beginning to precede him. Uh, ah!" Diggle exclaims as Oliver's knife manages to cuts his skin.

As Diggle groans, Oliver merely grins enjoying the adrenalin "Another round?"  
Diggle forces a smile on his face before letting it fall "No." He says sharply, Oliver was going to kill him at this rate.

Oliver chuckles before moving away and making his way to the computer.  
As he does Diggle clutches his arm before making his way over "Gotta take my nephew to the mall so he can let Santa know what he wants for Christmas."

Oliver leans back in his chair and freezes momentarily stunned, it had completely slipped his mind "Christmas." He breaths "I didn't even realise."  
Diggle scoffs "Great another one of you."  
Oliver closes his eyes only to pause "Another one?"  
"Yeah, Buffy." Diggle says offhandedly "I'm having to force the girl to come with me and my nephew, girl blocks out Christmas like she does me when I annoy her. Although her reason for not celebrating is different from yours."

Oliver can't help but find himself intrigued, the blonde was a complete mystery "Yeah why's that?"  
"Her mum." Diggle tells him "She loved the holidays now that she's gone it always slips her mind."  
Oliver nods interested only to freeze at Dig's next words "You probably just forgot because you've been logging in so many Hood hours ever since that thing with Helena."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

Buffy stands in front of the group of young Slayers nervously, they were all different ages ranging from 12-year-olds to 22-year-olds and they were all watching her. The Longest Living Slayer, they were waiting for her to give them the answers they all wanted; to explain what was happening to them.

She takes a deep breath before folding her arms and looking down at all of them. They were in the massive courtyard and as all the Slayers sat on the ground Buffy was stood on the balcony just above them all "You all know who I am. I am the Slayer, the chosen one, the one born to fight the forces of darkness...except now it's not one...it's many. I don't know what's coming next but I know in the end it's going to be us. You have a power within you. Each and every one of you. You're no longer potentials you are Slayers. You have a choice here. Something none of us has had before. You can choose. You can fight or you can go home. But you need to know what we are...what we do."

Buffy steps forward and flips off the balcony landing in front of the girls "Some of you don't know what you are meant to do with this power. I'm going to show you...but know this, there is only one thing on this earth more power than evil...and that's us."

At her words, Xander and Andrew appear dragging a clocked figure out into the courtyard with chains.  
Buffy nods at them, as she does Xander rips off the bag over the man's head to reveal a vampire.  
All the girls gasp in shock, Buffy sighs majority of these girls had never seen a vampire before, they had a long way to go.  
"This is what we're up against." Buffy tells them as she yanks the chains off the vampire releasing him "This is just the beginning." She tells the girls before attacking the vampire.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"What are your thoughts, Oliver?" Malcolm Merlyn asks Oliver as they discuss the vigilante and the fall of violence in Starling City at the dinner party.  
Oliver pauses trying to think of the best possible way to answer the question "I think the vigilante needs a better code name than The Hood or The hood guy."  
Everyone at the table laughs in amusement at the joke making Oliver smile successfully.

Merlyn raises his glass towards Oliver "I agree. How about Green Arrow?"  
Oliver shakes his head and frowns at the name "Lame."

Everyone's attention is quickly drawn to Walter as his phone begins ringing, Walter sighs and quickly grabs his phone only to sigh as he sees who is calling "I apologise, it's the office. Excuse me."

* * *

 _"_ _I'm in the middle of a dinner party Ms Rosenberg, so I hope this is of some importance."_ Walter hisses clearly irritated.

Willow sighs as she continues to tap away at her laptop "I guess that depends on how you define important. See most people...for example me would think of important as finding a list of names in subsonic ultraviolet invisible ink important."  
 _"_ _But then I already know about that, don't I?"  
_ Willow rolls her eyes, he may be her boss but he could be infuriating sometimes "How about the fact that the vigilante seems to be making his way through that specific list? Did you know that? Nope."  
Walter sighs _"But it is a rather long list, Willow, you can't be sure, I would expect there to be some overlap."_

Willow sighs, he was driving her insane, why couldn't he just listen to her and take her word for it, she clicks open her next file "Like Doug Miller."  
 _"_ _Head of applied sciences at Queen Consolidated."_ Walter acknowledges " _What of him"  
_ Willow smiles, she had his attention now "Well looks like the festival of lights may go downhill for Mr Miller as he's going to be getting an arrow thrown at him. He's on the list. So important or not?"

* * *

"Charles Stevenson," Xander tells Buffy as she sits in his office during her lunch break. Xander places the file in front of her "It's taken me all week to get this Intel, The Triad are being more shifty about everything now that they know that some woman in red is after them."  
Buffy sighs as she sips her coffee before reaching over and taking a glimpse at the file "My guess Wolfram and Hart don't want their little demon pets knowing who specifically is after them."

Xander nods he had thought about that, it was likely that very few of the demons knew that it was actually Buffy hunting them, Wolfram and Hart were shady and clever, they would lie to keep the business going.

Buffy sighs before leaning back in her chair "So what do we now?" She asks as she flips through the file.

"I've narrowed it down to this factory in The Glades." Xander says as he places security photos of the factory in front of Buffy, which she quickly picks up looking for possible ways to get in.  
"I've got Willow keeping an eye on the security feed. We'll know the second he gets in close."  
Buffy nods absorbing all this information before finishing her coffee and checking her watch "Damn. I got to get back to work."

As she stands Xander takes the file off her and quickly locks it back in his desk, "Training after work?" He asks as he walks her to the door."  
"Will you wear the body puffy protection stuff?" Buffy asks with a grin making Xander groan, it may be protective gear but every time Buffy hit him he still couldn't move for several hours after their sessions "Fine." He moans.

"Mr Harris..." A voice says making both Buffy and Xander pause. It's then that Walter turns the corner and comes face to face with the two of them.  
"Miss Summers." He says politely smiling at the young woman sweetly "It's lovely to see you again."

Buffy smiles at the man, he was always kind to her when she came in, she couldn't hate him he just seemed too nice "You too Mr Steele. I'd stay but I've got to get back to work."  
Walter nods, stepping to the side allowing her to pass him "Can't stop you from saving lives now, can we? Good day."  
Buffy smiles before waving at Xander "I'll see you at home."

"Bye Buffy." Xander says with a smile before turning back to Walter who was smiling at him.  
"Lovely young woman." Walter tells him as he walks into the office before turning to Walter "Are the two of you..."

Xander's eyes widen at the insinuation before bursting out in laughter "Me and Buff? No, no, no." He chuckles for another moment before calming down and turning to Walter seriously "So what is it you needed to discuss."

* * *

"Who would kill Adam Hunt with an arrow?" Diggle asks still in shock from what Oliver had told him. There was a copy cat out there now and if they didn't find out who it was soon, then a lot of people were going to die. "I mean other than you."  
Oliver glances over at him, glaring slightly before turning back to stare at the wall, he was in shock, this was his fault, this copycat wouldn't exist if it wasn't for him "Set up maybe."

"You mean someone looking to cover up Hunt by making it look like the work of The Hood?" Diggle asks curiously as he rubs his hands together trying to think of other possible explanations.  
"Whoever he was he's good." Oliver admits "The grouping on Hunt's chest was tight. It's a compound bow most likely. The guy is a legitimate archer."

Diggle nods as he processes the information, slowly he leans forwards in his chair before looking over at Oliver "Someone who would be particular about his choice of arrows."  
Oliver nods and glances over at his partner "We get an arrow, we get a beat on where he purchased them."  
"So what are you going to do?"  
Oliver sighs, trying to think of the right solution. After a beat, he nods "What anyone does when they need help: call a cop."

* * *

"I hate this suit." Xander moans as he groans in pain.  
Buffy was beating him around the room easily, not even breaking a sweat, unlike Xander who was now covered head to toe in sweat.  
"Buffy." He groans "Can't feel anything."

Buffy pauses in her assault and freezes, her eyes widen in panic and she immediately backs away "Oh! Puffy Xander. Are you okay?"  
"Yeah." He says quietly "Just can't move."  
Buffy looks at him guiltily "Do you wanna sit?"

Xander glances down at the puffy padded suit he was currently wearing before shaking his head "Don't think that's possible." He glances around the room for a second before an idea comes to him "I can lean." He says gesturing to the wall.  
Buffy glances at the wall before nodding, wrapping her arms around Xander she lifts him slightly dragging him up to the wall before allowing him to lean against it.

"Better?" She asks.  
Xander grins "Yeah. This leaning, that's the stuff."  
Buffy grins before unwrapping her hands "Sorry bout pounding on you."

Xander nods, there was something up with her and he knew it, that's why she had had the sudden need to pumble something.  
"Well Buff, as I have allowed you to beat me up will you tell me what's up?"  
Buffy sighs, "It's Christmas." She says simply as she unwraps her hands and sits down next to him. "I hadn't even realised." She further explains, forcing memories to the surface "The last Christmas I remember is the one before my mum died. She died right after Christmas..."  
Xander looks at his friend carefully, he hadn't even realised, with Willow being Jewish and him always trying to avoid his family during the holidays they had never really done anything at Christmas just the three of them.

"Buffy, you've been through a lot, it's understandable for you to not want to celebrate. What's brought this all up?"  
Buffy sighs "Dean asked me to spend Christmas Eve with him. But also um...John wants me to go with him and his nephew to see Santa."

Xander smiles "Maybe it's time to start letting the little stuff back in."  
Buffy smiles before hugging Xander, Xander freezes before smiling down at her "Now's the time you choose to hug me."

* * *

"So maybe now I can be the reason we have Christmas again." Oliver says hesitantly as he stands in the living room, Thea, Moira and Walter all watching him stunned by his words.  
"I thought I would throw the Queen Christmas party." He finishes only to get a scoff out of his sister, who was watching him in amusement.

The idea of Oliver throwing a family-friendly party was just so absurd that she wanted to laugh "You?"  
Oliver sighs and looks at his family members carefully "I know that I haven't been the son..." He glances over at Walter "...or the stepson, or the brother that all of you deserve, especially lately. But this feels like the right moment to start making up for lost time." Oliver turns to face his mother who was looking up at him, stunned, her expression was full of emotion and a smile was covering her lips "What do you say?"  
Moira's smile brightens as she looks at her son "I say yes."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

"Nope." Buffy groans in annoyance as she falls back on Willow's bed, she covers her face with her arms before huffing.  
Willow arches a brow at her best friend, she had strolled in huffing without saying a word.  
"How was training?"  
Buffy lifts her head up off the bed enough to look at her friend before flopping back down "Nope." She mumbles again.

Willow chuckles in amusement before standing and making her way over to the bed. She lies down next to her best friend and turns her head to look at her "Buffy, what is it? What's got you acting like one of the seven dwarfs?"

Buffy sighs and rubs her hands through her hair before turning to face her best friend "I'm not a teacher. I'm not a general. This isn't me. And I swear if I get called Ms Summers or ma'am again I'm going to snap."

Willow smiles slightly, she knew what this was about. Buffy had gone from being the only Slayer, the one that needed training to the person that everyone came to. Willow sighs, feeling worried, she knew Buffy would struggle slightly but having her only family gone and her mother dead meant that she was limited in people to turn to for advice.

"You'll be fine." Willow assures her speaking softly "You always find a way."  
Buffy sighs "I wish my mum was here. And my annoying brat sister."  
Willow laughs in amusement, as much as she protested it was obvious that she loved Dawn more than anything.  
"Speaking of the brat...you talk to her lately?"

"Not much." Buffy tells her sighing slightly, it upset her that she didn't get to see her sister at all and talking to her was getting more difficult by the day "She's all with the Italy at the moment. Not time for big sis."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver freezes as he spots his phone ringing, when he spots the number he can't help but smirk internally, it was Detective Lance calling for The Hood. Oliver knew that it would only be a matter of time before Lance turned to him, it's why he had made sure Lance had gotten the phone.

As he picks up the phone his face losses all signs of emotion and he activates the voice modulator "Don't bother trying to trace this back to me, you'll never make it through the encryption."

 _"_ _There's a heating vent on the corner of O'Neil and Adams. You will find what you're after there."_

Oliver hesitates for a second, he didn't trust Lance, it could be a trap "It would be a mistake to set a trap for me, detective." He warns.  
Lance sighs _"I'm trading away just about everything I believe in here because it's the only way I've got to get this bastard. Now you got till Christmas, then copycat or not I'm coming after you."_

* * *

Willow was hacking into the Starling City police department files when something catches her eye. It was a new file one that hadn't been there the last time she checked. Her eyes narrow as she opens the file only for her jaw to drop as she sees the photo of the murder scene.

Her eyes widen even more as she reads the report, apparently, there was a serial killer out there, using black arrows.  
Willow sighs, this wasn't good. She knew she had to get Buffy, Buffy may have been staying out of the Hood's way but once she finds out about this new archer that would change things.

As she continued to stare at the file intently she doesn't notice the male figure approach her desk "Hey." A voice says from above her making Willow gasp in shock as she looks up to spot Oliver standing in her office.  
"Don't you knock?" She hisses annoyed before quickly closing down all the police files.  
"Willow, this is the IT Department, it's not the ladies room." He points out only to have her glare at him.

"That's not amusing." She tells him before chuckling slightly "So what can I do for you?"  
"My buddy Steve is really into archery. Apparently, it's all the rage right now."  
Willow rolls her eyes "I just don't get it. Buffy use to do it when we lived in England and God did she look ridiculous." Willow freezes and looks up at him seriously "Never tell her I said that."

Oliver's jaw locked as he gave her a swift nod "Uh-huh. You're secret is safe with me." Although he was stunned at the news that Buffy herself was actually gifted in archery he continues with his lame story which was actually better than some of the other's he had come up with "Anyway it's Steve's birthday next weekend and I wanted to buy him some arrows." He says as he pulls out the dark archer's arrow to show it to Willow "Thing is he gets these special custom-made arrows. And I have no idea where he gets them."

Willow freezes at the sight of the arrow, it was the same one that she had been staring at just a moment ago in the police file. She groans slightly "I am so going to lose that bet." She mumbles not realising that she had spoken aloud.  
Oliver frowns in confusion "I'm sorry."  
Willow panics "Nothing. Carry on."

Oliver looks at her sceptically not quite believing her but he hands her the arrow anyway "I was hoping you could find out where this came from."  
When she goes to take it Oliver cuts her off "Careful."  
Willow offers him a small smile before taking the arrow.

As she examines it carefully she tries to absorb as much information as she can about it so that she can warn Buffy "The shaft's composite is patented."

Turning to her computer she quickly types in the number saving the file as she does without Oliver noticing "And that patent is registered to a company called Sagittarius. That's Latin for archer." She tells him as she hands out the arrow towards him.

Oliver nods interested before taking the arrow and putting it back in the container "Could you find out where and when this was purchased?"

Willow arches an eyebrow, he really was extremely obvious, but she needed this information anyway to track down this guy so she figured she might as well do it now. Smiling at him she quickly reads through files before finding what she was looking for "According to Sagittarius company records that particular arrow is part of a bundle shipment, 200 units sent to this address." She says as she again saves the page keeping the address for herself before writing down a copy for Oliver.  
Oliver smiles as he takes the sheet of paper off her "Willow, you're remarkable."  
"I know." She says with a grin before crossing her arms "If you want to make it up to me you could tell me if you have an attractive sister." She says with a smirk.

Oliver freezes as he gets her point before chuckling and standing "My sister is 16."  
Willow sighs "Damn. Shame."

Oliver chuckles in amusement at the redhead before heading for the door, as he does he pauses and turns to her "Um Merry Christmas. To you and Buffy."  
"I'm Jewish."  
"Happy Hanukah to you then..." He pauses making Willow smile.  
"I will let Buffy now."  
He gives her a small smile before heading out the office.

The minute the door closes behind him Willow turns back to her computer and begins trying to gather as much information about the archer as she can.

* * *

"Aunt Buffy, come on." AJ Diggle moans as he drags Buffy by the hand through the mall towards where all the kids were lined up to meet Santa.  
Buffy turns back to face John and glares at him "How did I let you talk me into this?"  
John merely chuckles and continues to watch as his nephew drags the blonde over to the elves.

Once AJ was in line Buffy moves to stand by Dig before hitting him on the arm "You suck."  
John chuckles "It's not my fault he likes his aunt Buffy."  
Buffy rolls her eyes trying to force the smile threatening to break free.  
John smiles in success "See you're having a good time."

Buffy again rolls her eyes before punching her friend's arm playfully, she smirks as he winces before turning back just as AJ goes up to Santa. She smiles at the young boy, the scene reminded her of when she was a kid and her and Dawn had gone to see Santa.

As she thinks of her sister Buffy can help but blink back tears, she missed her sister and her mum and not having them around this time of year sucked.  
John looked over at his best friend and immediately frowns at the look on her face before throwing a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Buffy leans into Diggle for a moment before AJ runs over "Johnny, Buffy." The little boy says cheerfully as he shows them the toy car "Look what Santa got me."  
Buffy chuckles before taking the boy's hand "Come on kid." She says before lifting him up off the ground.

Diggle ruffles his nephew's hair before walking along side Buffy "Sure you won't come to this party?"  
Buffy arches a brow before chuckling in amusement "Yeah...no. Spending all night with the rich and pompous not my idea of a party."

Diggle laughs before nodding in agreement, it wasn't exactly his either, Buffy giggles before tapping John's shoulder in support, she then turns her focus on AJ "Poor Uncle Johnny gonna have to suffer alone."

* * *

Five Years Ago –Westbury, England

"What is it?" Buffy asks as she takes another bite of her sandwich staring at the large monitor in front of her.  
Xander shrugs as he stares at the symbol on the screen "I don't know a moon?"  
Buffy tilts her head as she stares at the image "I think it looks like a sad face."  
Xander sighs before rubbing his head in frustration "I don't know but Willow told me it's something witchy. Apocalypse stuffy."

Buffy groans in annoyance "Great." She huffs sarcastically before flopping against her chair and sliding over to Xander.  
"She just said it was in a book of prophecies. Something to do with the death of all vampires."

Buffy bursts out in laughter "Yeah like that's ever gonna happen." She says softly before tapping Xander's chest "No offence Xand, but you're a terrible Watcher."  
Xander glares at her clearly not happy with the description "I told you not to call me that."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"The other archer moved to the next level. He's taken, hostages." Diggle tells Oliver as he leads Oliver into the study before switching on the news where a beaten woman was currently crying on screen.

" _Happy Holidays, Starling City. For the past three months, Starling has been laid siege by a vigilante. But the police have been unable to bring him to justice because they lack the will to do what justice demands..."_

* * *

"... _I will kill one hostage every hour in the name of this vigilante until he surrenders himself to my authority."_

Buffy crosses her arms as she stares at the TV, she takes a deep breath before switching off the TV and moving past Xander towards the cupboard to get her suit.  
Xander stands confused "Buffy, what are you doing?"  
"I'm going to find The Hood." She says as she grabs her suit and moves behind the screen to change.  
Xander's eyes widen "Buffy!"

"He has hostages Xander!" She exclaims as she comes out from behind the screen now in her suit.

As she moves to grab her weapons the front door slams open and in runs Willow, Willow searches frantically around the room before running over to Buffy and handing her a file.  
"What is this?" The blonde asks in confusion.

"The Dark Archer...that's what I'm calling him anyway." When Buffy frowns Willow carries on "Buffy, that's the person who kidnapped those people. Buffy, I found a police file, this guy is dangerous he kills his victims with a black bow. Perfect accuracy every time."

Buffy frowns before glancing down at the image of the arrow, her eyes widen at the sight of it, she hadn't seen an arrow like this in almost two years.  
"Buffy, what is it?" Xander asks noticing the look on her face.  
"I—" She hesitates "I know this arrow. I don't know his name but I know what he was called Al Sa-Her. It means the magician."  
Willow frowns in confusion "How do you know that?"

Buffy freezes there were things that had happened in the past few years that she still hadn't told either of them, and this secret was one she wanted to take to the grave "I—"

Buffy breathes a sigh of relief as one of Willow's computers begins ringing loudly.  
Willow spins her head around and quickly runs over to the computer only to gasp in shock "We have a problem. Charles Stevenson..."  
Buffy frowns "What about him?"  
"He's at the same address that I tracked the Dark Archer too."

Buffy's eyes widen before they go dark, grabbing the scythe she climbs onto the balcony before making her way up the fire escape and into the night.

* * *

Buffy crashes in through the window at the factory, rolling across the ground she comes to a stop by the door only to freeze as she spots the hostages inside.  
She moves to go in only to be grabbed from behind and tossed towards the opposite end of the room.

She groans in pain and rolls onto her side only to gasp in shock as lying down opposite her in a pool of his own blood was Charles Stevenson.

"Told you I would be back soon." A familiar voice says approaching her making Buffy's blood run cold "Marcus..." She hisses just as she is kicked in the stomach and sent flying through the air.

* * *

Oliver crashes through the window at the factory and quickly unties all the victims "Where is he?" he asks as he unties the three of them.  
The woman who had been on television earlier shakes her head before taking a shaky breath "I don't know."  
"It's going to be Ok." He tells them before leading them out of the room not once noticing the loud crashing noise coming from the next room.

* * *

"Why kill your pet?" Buffy asks as she stands, spinning the scythe in her grasps before glaring at the well dressed Marcus.  
Marcus readjusts his blazer before offering her a small smile "He was a talkative one. And I've heard about your torture methods. Impressive by the way removing one of my demon's ears."  
Buffy glares at him for another moment before running at him, she swings the scythe at him but he dodges it easily. When he throws a punch at her she steps back before spinning around, kicking him square in the chest.

As he stumbles back Buffy grabs onto the metal pole next to her and uses it to spin her body around in the air before flipping onto the next level above them.

* * *

Oliver pauses at the end of the long hallway and turns only to spot the Dark Archer standing on the other end of the corridor "Thank you for coming." The Dark Archer says, his voice slightly distorted "After the warehouse, I knew I'd have to do something dramatic to get your attention."

Oliver glares at the other man furious "What do you want with me?"

"What any archer wants; to see who's better." He hisses before reaching for an arrow only to have Oliver beat him to it and fire one at The Dark Archer who easily dodges it.  
The two exchange Arrow after arrow until chasing each other down the hall further into the factory.

* * *

As Marcus leaps onto the second floor Buffy leaps up sending a powerful kick to his chest. When he goes to hit her again she grabs onto the metal scaffolding and uses it to twist herself away from him.

He comes after her and throws out his first, she ducks under the blow coming up behind him and swings the scythe at him only from him to knock it from her grasp.  
He tosses it to the ground out of her reach and swings hit fist at her again jabbing her in the face. When she stumbles he kicks her in the stomach sending her flying backwards.

The blonde ignores the pain and quickly recovers, flipping herself back up she raises her arms just in time to block Marcus from hitting her with the metal pole he had ripped from the wall.

She blocks the blow again only for him to shove her up against the scaffolding and knee her in the stomach.

* * *

As the arrow pierces his leg Oliver cries out in agony before letting go of the metal railing and dropping to the ground.  
He quickly recovers and rolls out of the way as another arrow is sent flying his way.  
He grabs his own bow and pulls out an arrow ready to take fire only to freeze as he finds The Dark Archer gone.

Oliver circles the room desperate to find the man only to suddenly find himself crying in agony once more as two arrows dig into his back.

* * *

Buffy backhands Marcus before twisting the metal pole out of his grasp knocking him painfully in the jaw as she spins out of his reach. She catches his arm as he goes to hit her and kicks him in the stomach before twisting his arm forcing it out of place.  
Marcus shoves her away before staring at his now dislocated arm impressed "I must say you've got bigger balls than that vampire. Guess we know who wore the pants in that relationship."

Buffy growls at him and Marcus takes her distraction to slip one of her knives out of her holster and swing it at her. Buffy backs up just in time to avoid getting cut.  
He pins her up against the scaffolding again and holds her arms tightly as he tries to force the knife towards her throat.

Buffy struggles, they were equally matched in strength but his size gave him the advantage at this point. When he yanks back her hair forcing her to tilt her head her eyes widen in panic as the knife gets closer and closer to her.

After a moment she ducks her head down and bites into his arm causing him to cry out in pain, using the distraction to her advantage she uses his arm as a base and flips around it before forcing him to crash head first into the metal scaffolding.

"I'm just gonna keep coming back." Marcus hisses as Buffy kicks the base of his spine paralysing him.  
Buffy shrugs "Well I guess each time will just have to be more painful than the last." She says before grabbing the scythe off the ground and swinging it at him.  
The scythe slices his skull in two and Buffy watches for a moment as his skull separates before falling in separate pieces on the ground.

Buffy sighs as she stares down at his body before she remembers the hostages, leaping down from the second level she runs over to the door and rips it off its hinges as she tries to get inside.  
She freezes as she spots the hostages gone. She groans before spotting the camera still going quickly grabbing one of her knives she throws it at the camera destroying it.

 _"_ _First hunt. Then Ravish. And now you."_

Buffy freezes as she hears the words coming from a distorted voice, as she listens it's then she hears cries of pain. Her eyes widen and she quickly runs as fast as she can towards the voices.

* * *

The blonde runs into the large open space, filled with half destroyed wooden boxes, only to spots The Hood on the ground; two arrows in his back with The Dark Archer standing over him kicking him violently in the stomach.

Buffy quickly grabs one of her knives before tossing it at the Dark Archer watching as it buries itself in his left leg causing him to pause in his assault.

As the Archer drops Buffy runs at him, pressing her foot onto his knee she pushes herself up and wraps her other leg around his neck before twisting around him causing him to flip through the air while she landed gracefully on her feet.

Buffy then grabs the back of his head and tosses him across the room causing him to crash painfully into a metal pole.  
Buffy quickly turns back to The Hood who was staring up at her in confusion, he could barely see properly. Everything was fuzzy.

Buffy frowns before moving to help him only to have an arrow fired at her.  
"The man who authored the list wants you dead." The Dark Archer hisses at the Hood before turning to the blonde.

"Al-Qa-Til" He hisses as he clutches his now bleeding side.

Buffy glares at him, grabbing the scythe she runs at him, she swings the scythe at him but he manages to dodge it easily, making Buffy smirk. She headbutts him before spinning around and kicking him in the chest.  
When he raises his bow in defence Buffy spins the scythe in her palm before slicing it in two.  
She grabs the knife from her leg and stabs him in the side causing him to cry out in pain as her knife approaches his lung.

"Hello, Al Sa-Her. It's been a long time." She hisses before moving to grab his mask. Just as she prepared to rip it from his face to reveal his true identity a loud siren goes off outside.  
She loosens her grip allowing The Dark Archer to twist out of her grip before leaping out of the window, still wounded badly.

"Dammit!" Buffy hisses however just as she was about to chase after him she freezes as she remembers The Hood.  
She quickly runs back over and lifts him up so that he can stand, she wraps his arm over her shoulder, and places her arm on his waist hauling him towards the other window.  
"I'm gonna feel this in the morning." She says before throwing herself and The Hood out of the window. She positions them as they fall so she can take the brunt of the drop.

As she lands on the ground with The Hood next to her she quickly gets to her feet crouching down next to him, "Do you have backup?" She hisses at the half dead man.  
The Hood, who was barely coherent nods and reaches into his pocket pulling out a small communication device "Help." He mumbles into the device.  
Buffy sighs before she lifts The Hood, throwing him over her shoulder and walks him into the alley, carefully she places him up against the wall.

She lifts up the back of his suit to see where the Arrow's were still buried in his back dangerously close to his spinal cord.  
She groans knowing that she had to remove them now, not only would he bleed out if she didn't but he could end paralysed if they shifted anymore.  
"This is gonna hurt." She tells him before quickly yanking the arrows out of his back and carefully ripping the vest under her suit so that she could use it to slow the bleeding.

At the point a vehicle approaches the two, Buffy's eyes widen and she quickly stands backing away from The Hood. She runs at the fire escape for the next building and quickly climbs up it, out of sight.

Oliver watches the mysterious figure that had saved him run off before he notices Diggle picking him up. After another breath, Oliver finally lets' darkness consume him with nothing more than the image of a red weapon filling his mind.

* * *

Oliver gasps in agony as he wakes in the hospital bed.

Diggle who was by his side quickly stands "Hey, relax, relax, relax, relax." He says as he places a hand on Oliver's shoulder to keep him from moving and risk hurting himself more than he already was. "You're safe. You're in the hospital." Diggle tells him as Oliver continues to shift unaware of his new surroundings.  
After a moment Oliver takes a deep breath "What happened?" He manages to get out.  
"I back-traced your CD..." He pauses, making Oliver frown "What Dig?"  
"Someone fixed you up. Not the best job my bet they were in a rush, but whoever it was removed the arrows in your back and stopped the bleeding, they bandaged you up."

Oliver frowns in confusion as he tries to remember something while Diggle merely continues to tell him what was wrong.  
"You have a pneumothorax three broken ribs, and a concussion. The doctors say you're going to be fine."  
Oliver takes another deep breath before finally, he remembers, he had lost, someone in red had saved him. A woman.  
"Dig...I lost. I should be dead."  
"But you're not." Diggle tells him relieved.

Oliver shakes his head "Someone saved me. I remember a woman. I think she was a woman anyway. She was strong she took him down. I don't remember how but I remember something red. It might have been a weapon. An axe or something."

Diggle stands there stunned for a moment only to freeze as Oliver describes the weapon. He knew exactly the weapon he was talking about, he was just hoping that he was wrong. Shaking his head he sighs "We'll talk about this later. Right now there are some people here to see you."

* * *

Buffy climbs up into the living room, it was about 2 in the morning so lucky both Willow and Xander were in bed.  
The blonde storms into her room and rips off her mask, this couldn't be happening. She thinks as she rubs her bruised side, there was too much going on for this to be happening.

First Marcus and Wolfram and Hart, then The Hood which she had just totally missed out the opportunity of finding out if she had won the bet or not. But now this, a member of the League of Assassins was here in Starling. Not just any member but Al Sa-Her, she had never seen him without his mask but she knew his fighting style. Him being here was not a good sign.

* * *

The Dark Archer makes his way through his hideout, limping slightly as he does. He looks down at the knife wound at his side and sighs Al-Qa-Til had always been ruthless. The Slayer being here was not good. It could put a dent in his plans. This was a problem that needed to be fixed.

He groans in annoyance before yanking off his mask. Malcolm Merlyn stares at his mask before growling. Things were not going to plan.

* * *

Diggle sits in the hospital and watches as Oliver uses the walking stick to make his way towards the window. Oliver stares out the window before sighing "You know Dig when I confront somebody on the list I tell them that they failed the city. But it tonight it was me who failed."

Diggle sighs, Oliver always found a way to blame himself for everything "Oliver, five hostages are home tonight with their families enjoying the holidays because of you."  
Diggle stands and looks at his injured friend carefully "This guy, the other archer, he'll get his."

Oliver sighs "And the woman..."  
Diggle freezes before groaning slightly "We'll find her."  
Oliver nods before staying silent for another moment, he continues to stare at the window before finally taking a breath "We have another problem. The other archer told me that somebody compiled the list. I always assumed it was my father. But what it is wasn't?"  
"What do you mean?"

"I think there is someone else out there; someone who's more of a danger than the archer. And I am going to take him down."

* * *

Buffy winces slightly as she touches her bruised side where Marcus had kicked her. She was making her way to bed only to sigh in frustration as the sound of the doorbell makes her pause.  
She frowns looking at the clock, it was almost 3 in the morning, who the hell could be coming over at this time of day.

She grabs a knife from it's hidden place underneath the side table by the door and twists it in her palm before peeking through the eyepiece.  
She sighs in relief as she spots Diggle, placing down the knife she opens the door only to freeze as she spots the look on her friend's face.  
"We need to talk."


	10. Burned

_"_ _We have to talk Buffy."_

Buffy hears Diggle's voice in her head as she continues to do pull ups using the wall to pull herself off the ground.  
 _"_ _You promised me, you wouldn't do this again, Buffy, dammit!"_

Buffy drops to the ground and turns to her punching bag sending powerful hit after powerful hit at the bag as the events that happened six weeks ago continue to plague her.

 _"_ _Doing this almost got you killed once!"_

Buffy punches the bag again however she instantly realises that she had, in fact, missed the bag and herhand was now buried in the wall.

* * *

John stops by the fallen tennis ball and looks over at Oliver who was currently holding his bow, staring at the tennis ball that he had missed with his arrow.  
"How you doing? Rehab going good?"

Oliver sighs pacing slightly before turning back to Diggle "Any news on Walter?" He asks changing the subject.  
Diggle sighs before shrugging "My contact at the bureau stuck out. Same with my guy at Interpol. They're both saying the same thing."  
Oliver nods watching as Diggle approaches him "Either my stepfather doesn't want to be found or someone doesn't want him to be found."

Diggle sighs and looks at his friend carefully "It's been six weeks, Oliver. No contact from the kidnappers, no ransom demand, no proof of life." Diggle pauses he didn't want to be the one to point this out to Oliver, but it seemed like no one else was going to "I hate to sound—"  
"Diggle..." Oliver says finally turning to look at him "We both know he is more than likely dead."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Westbury

"I love Empire, of course, I love Empire, let's not waste the questioning my loyalties but the moment I saw Billy D. In the hizzy I smelled the troubles."  
Andrew continues to rant completely forgetting what the question one of the Slayers had actually asked was about.

Buffy who was sat in the back of the training room stretching, glances over watching in amusement as the other Slayers continue to get more and more frustrated with the wannabee watcher.

As he continues to rant about some character in Star Wars looking like a magician, Buffy grabs the sword to her right and launches it towards him.  
"Yelp!" Andrew exclaims as he screams like a girl and leaps in the air landing in one of the Slayer's arms.  
"This is not an episode of Scooby Doo." Buffy tells Andrew as she walks over; while the Slayer who had caught Andrew lets him drop to the ground.  
Andrew glares up at her, a terrified glint in his eye "Says the girl that looks like Daphne."

"Shut it." Buffy orders before she smiles at the girls "Girls, you wanna learn about weapons. Why don't you see which ones Andrew is more afraid of."  
When all the girls grin Andrew gulps before running out of the room leaving a bunch of laughing girls in his wake.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Buffy was eating dinner, staying completely silent which was unusual for her. Willow frowns ever since Diggle had shown up Buffy had been acting differently, she hadn't told her or Xander what had happened but it was obvious that there had been a big fight, considering John and Buffy hadn't spoken in 6 weeks.

"Buffy..." Willow says hesitantly "What happened? The night at the factory"

Buffy groans before taking a deep breath, she places her spoon down and clasps her hands together "The Arrow was there." She tells her friend refusing to look her in the eye as she does "The Dark Archer almost killed him. I saved him...told him to call his contact but then..." Willow frowns as Buffy struggles to tell her the truth "John was the contact. He showed up and lost it. He knows about me...The Hood must have told him about the scythe. John has seen me with it before."

Willow's eyes widen that she had not expected, but something about this just wasn't adding up "Buffy, I don't get it, why is he angry?"  
Buffy sighs "When I was a mercenary John was the one that tracked me down. I was...I was not in a good place when I was in Bulgaria. It was John who brought me back to Chicago...I promised him that I would never take another mercenary job again."

Willow takes a deep breath finally understanding, John thought that she was going back to the person she was, the woman who didn't feel anything, a mercenary and nothing more.  
Buffy sighs before running a hand through her hair "I—I don't know what to do. I can't tell him about this world. He fainted when he saw me use my strength for the first time I don't know how he'll react to demons. I—I just I don't know what to do anymore."

* * *

Oliver pauses outside his mother's room as he spots her gazing at a photo of her and Walter at her vanity.

"Mom." He says as he leans against the door frame, startling her.  
Moira jumps slightly as she hears her son, quickly she lowers the photo and turns to him "Hey." He says as he offers her a small smile.  
She returns the smile "Hey."

Oliver pauses for a moment before speaking "I stopped by the Big Belly Burger. Thought maybe you, me and Thea have some takeout, watch a DVD."  
The smile falls from Moira's face and is quickly covered by a look of pure misery "Thank you, sweetheart, I'm not very hungry."

Oliver nods slightly disappointed but from the look on her face, he could tell that Walter missing was taking a toll on her but it wasn't something she was going to speak about with him yet. She just needed time.  
"Well if you change your mind."

* * *

Xander tosses the tennis ball at the wall for the twelfth time before catching it in his right palm. He was bored out of his mind, he hated being a consultant between the Watcher's Council and Queen Consolidated, and he missed construction. Doing something that he was actually good at, building things with his hands.  
He sighs in boredom before jumping into shock as the phone on his desk begins ringing. He quickly takes his feet off the desk and swings his chair around before grabbing the photo.

"Hello?"  
 _"_ _Xander."_ Giles says the second Xander picks up the phone.  
Xander grins glad to hear a familiar voice "G-Man, thank god I am bored out of my mind."  
Giles sighs _"I'm sorry Xander but this is a business call not personal."  
_ Xander sighs slightly disappointed "Oh."  
 _"_ _Xander, how are you and Buffy doing with finding these demons?"_

Xander runs his hands through his hair, he cursed himself, he had completely forgotten to fill Giles in on what they had discovered. "Sorry Giles, yeah Buffy's been making her way through the list. Turns out Wolfram and Hart are behind the whole human lookalike party. They sent some guy in a suit after Buffy."

When Giles goes silent for a moment, Xander frowns as he hears the shuffle of books and pages flipping through the background. After a moment Xander approaches the dreaded topic, one that was never spoken about "Giles...why didn't you call Buffy, she could give you—"  
 _"_ _She won't answer my calls."_ Giles says cutting him _"She hasn't spoken to me in over a year Xander."_ He finishes a wave of emotion in his voice.

Xander sighs, he had been the middle ground between Buffy and Giles for so long now, it still astonished him to this day how two people so close could not speak for so long.  
"She won't be angry with you forever—" Xander tries only gaining a sad sigh from Giles " _I appreciate the effort Xander but we both know after how I reacted she will never forgive me. And I can't say I blame her."_

* * *

Oliver walks into Laurel's apartment in his suit and stands with his back to her before switching on the voice modulator. When she continues to ask him questions about his disappearance he cuts right to the chase "You said it was important."

Laurel sighs "My best friend's brother..." She says as she grabs a file off her desk and makes her way over to him "My best friend's brother, he died two days ago fighting a fire. The police and fire department say that he died in the line of duty. But my friend she thinks he was murdered."

As Oliver continues to listen he realises why she stole Lance's phone to call him "So you're asking one killer to find another? I heard what you said to your father about me that I'm a killer. That I have no remorse." As he speaks he can't help the hurt that her previous words stirred in him, out of everyone he had wanted Laurel to understand, yet she saw him as nothing more that a monster. A murderer.

Laurel's eyes widen before stepping closer to him, slowly and hesitantly "Do you?" When he doesn't say anything she continues "Take a look at the file. If Danny De La Vega was murdered, that we have to bring his killer to justice."  
Oliver stretches his neck and clenches his jaw before turning to her and taking the file "I'll look into it." He says before making his way his out.

* * *

"Charge to 200." Buffy orders as she presses the shock pads from the defibrillator against the young man's chest.  
It had all gone south, it had been a simple call about a neck injury but when they had arrived the man had gone into sudden cardiac arrest, so here Buffy was now desperately trying to keep the man from dying in front of his girlfriend who was crying in the corner.

"Clear!" Buffy exclaims as she presses the pads to his chest for a moment.  
"What happened?!" Buffy yells as she glances over at the girlfriend while the man's body leaps up at the shock of electricity flowing through him before flopping back down.  
The girl takes a shaky breath before turning away from Stewart and looking at Buffy "I don't know, he was complaining about his neck and some chest pain—and then—he..."

Buffy groans as the girl turns away, hiding her face in her knees; unable to breathe properly due to her sobs.

When there is no response on the machine Buffy's eyes widen and she turns to Stewart "300!"  
Stewart sighs and looks over at Buffy, he doubted they were going to be able to save this one, but she just wouldn't give up.  
"Clear!" Buffy says as she again presses the pads to the man's chest.  
When again there is no response Buffy sighs, leaning back on her heels she stops, the world becoming mute around her as she stares at the man she was unable to save.

* * *

Diggle continues to pound on the dummy in the lair, throwing all his anger and worry for his best friend into his hits.  
As he continues to replay the events of the past few months in his head, trying to figure out where he went wrong, how he let her get back into that life, his throws become harder and less controlled.

"Rotate your hips, Diggle." A voice says from behind him just as he swings his leg out throwing a powerful kick at the dummy.  
"That's where the power comes from." Oliver says as he watches Diggle pause in his attack on the dummy. "It's not just your arms, even if they're..." He pauses to see Diggle's arms "...the side of bowling balls." He says with a small chuckle before getting to the whole reason he had interrupted Diggle in the first place "Laurel reached out to The Hood last night."

Diggle takes a deep breath, burying his anger before turning to his friend and plastering a grin on his face "Really? I thought the vigilante spooked her pretty well last time."  
Oliver doesn't respond to that he merely shows him the file Laurel had given The Hood "She thinks someone's killing firemen."

Diggle frowns before taking the file "It looks all in the job. Seems pretty thin." He says gesturing to the limited amount of pages in the file.  
Oliver turns to face him as he heads over to the chest on the table "Can we look into it?"  
Diggle nods, he needed something to distract himself, this could be it "Yeah." He says as he reaches for his shirt. I have a friend who has a friend in the fire investigations department. I'll reach out."

At that moment Oliver says something that almost knocks Diggle off his feet in surprise "If you get any leads, tip the police."  
Diggle pauses and approaches Oliver "The police?"  
Oliver runs a hand over the wooden box containing his bow before turning to Diggle "Police need something to jump start them."  
"Isn't the whole idea of being a vigilante is that you do the police's job? You know Oliver you've been spending a lot of time around here lately. I thought after six weeks you'd be anxious to hood up. Hell, I even prepared the whole you got to slow down speech."

When Oliver and Diggle hear noise coming upstairs, Oliver quickly makes an excuse and makes his way upstairs.  
Diggle frowns, Oliver was avoiding going out in The Hood, this wasn't good.

After a brief pause and a contemplation of what to do next, he glances over at the file once more. There was something there and if Oliver wouldn't do something then someone had to. And there was only one person he knew that could handle something like this.

* * *

Buffy strolls into the staff room frustrated and annoyed. She was pissed at herself if they had just got there five minutes earlier that man may not be dead. She scoffs at herself, they hadn't rushed over, it hadn't been a distress call at the time so those extra five minutes it took didn't seem like a lot. But now he was dead, so clearly they had meant something to him.

She throws her jacket into her locker and groans, running her hands through her hair pulling at it slightly.

"Hey." A voice says from behind her startling her, Buffy gasps and raises her hands in defence only to take a breath in relief when she spots Dean standing at the doorway grinning at the blonde.  
Buffy sighs before glaring at him "Don't do that. You need to make noise when you walk. Otherwise, you're just a big creep."

Dean chuckles in amusement at the beautiful woman before him before approaching her, cupping her cheeks he kisses her softly before smiling "I promise. I will be loud for now on."  
"You don't have to be loud." She mummers "Stump or yodel whatever just some form of noise would help."  
Dean chuckles once again before nodding in agreement and releasing her.  
He frowns as he watches Buffy turn back to her locker, her fists clenched, tilting his head he watches the blonde carefully, something was wrong "Buffy? What's wrong?"

Buffy huffs before suddenly all her anger and frustration comes rushing back slamming her hand on the locker "It's nothing." She grunts off before yanking off her shirt leaving her in her vest, she reaches for her jumper as quickly as she can but that doesn't stop Dean from spotting the scars on her back.

His eyes widen and he steps closer to her, shocked at the marks on her back, he shakes his head and places a hand on her shoulder making her pause "Is this about the patient today?" He asks avoiding the topic of her scars, knowing now was not the best time to bring it up.

Buffy takes a deep breath before turning to face him "I—I don't like losing them. I've watched a lot of people die, that impact is still the same even now."  
Dean watches her carefully for a moment before leaning forward and kissing her.

* * *

Diggle moves through the hospital on the phone to Oliver as he searches for Buffy.  
"I hacked into Stag's video security feeds, parked right on the street running along the plant."  
Diggle informs Oliver as he turns the corner heading towards the staff room where Stewart had told him Buffy had disappeared to.  
 _"_ _Same pickup?"  
_ Diggle smiles slightly "You gear is in your car. I'll be there soon."

The smile immediately falls as he notices a long silence, Oliver was hesitating again, Diggle groans "Oliver, by the time I get someone on the phone that will even listen to me, at least one of those firemen is going to be dead. They need the man in the hood."  
Diggle sighs as Oliver stays quiet for several minutes before finally, he gets an answer _"Fine."_

Quickly Oliver hangs up the phone just as Diggle approaches the staff room door. Looking around he quickly makes sure there are no doctors in sight or nurses before pushing the door open.  
Diggle freeze at the sight before him, it was the last thing on the planet he had expected to see today or anytime soon.

Buffy was pressed against the staff lockers while an attractive tall doctor leant into her kissing her.  
Diggle clears his throat uncomfortably hoping for the young couple to break apart.  
Buffy gasps and pushes Dean away from her only to freeze as she spots Diggle standing in the staff room his arms crossed, his gaze narrowed at the man she had just seconds ago been making out with. Buffy can't help but smile at the elder brother in him that wanted to hurt all men that went near her.

"Diggle." She says softly before turning to Dean who was staring genuinely confused as to how he had gotten into the staff room.  
Buffy sensing Dean about to argue places a hand on his arm "We'll talk later."  
Dean nods hesitantly before kissing her cheek and heading out the room

As the door closes behind him Diggle turns to Buffy "That's new." He points out gesturing to the doctor.  
Buffy clenches her jaw that hadn't spoken in six weeks and this is how he wanted to start this conversation.

"Over a month." She says simply before crossing her arms "You here to yell at me again?" She asks sharply, her feelings still hurt from their big blowout.  
Diggle sighs and runs his hand across his face "No...I need your help."  
Buffy scoffs in disbelief "You cut me out." She hisses, knowing that he would understand what she meant.  
"I just...I needed time. I don't want this life for you..."

"I'm not a mercenary, Dig." She says cutting him off. He didn't understand her situation but she wouldn't let him blame himself; thinking that she had reverted back to the person she was.

Diggle frowns in confusion, he opened his mouth prepared to ask what she meant but freezes, as much as they needed to talk he had come here for a reason "I need your help." He repeats making it clear he was changing their topic of discussion.  
Buffy sighs, this reunion was not going how she had planned, she groans before moving to sit down, looking up at him with doe eyes she frowns "What is it?"  
Diggle takes a breath before sitting opposite her "I work with The Hood."  
Buffy arches a brow "I figured."

Diggle couldn't help but chuckle slightly after showing up at her house it had been painfully obvious that he worked with The Hood. He shakes his head and tries to focus "That night...when you saved him...it's changed him. A firefighter Danny De Le Vega he was killed and someone made it look like it happened on the job. The Hood turned around a told me to send all the information we had to the cops."

Buffy frowns in confusion, The Hood seemed to be the type of guy that liked to take the situation into his own hands, so it was confusing as to why now he wanted to follow to rules of law enforcement.

"He thinks he's failed." Diggle continues "His head isn't in the game. He's going after the people we think are responsible but..."  
Buffy looks up at him finally realising what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to go in there and make sure that the vigilante doesn't get himself killed.  
"I'll grab my suit."

* * *

"What now Ned?" Xander asks in annoyance as Ned Foster the COO of Queen Consolidated stands in his office, arms crossed on his chest.

"You need to speak to Mrs Queen." Ned practically orders making Xander chuckle in amusement. He had spoken to Moira about 2 times and much preferred Walter's company. At the thought of the CEO a wave of sadness fills Xander, he was fond of the older man who had seemed to have taken him under his wing.  
"So why do I need to talk to the she-devil?" Xander asks remembering the nickname some of the member's of the IT department had come up with.

"This company's standing may be helped by the Watcher's Council of England however that is not enough. We need a CEO, investors are seeing the loss of the past two CEOs as a reason to back out. We need to show the company is still strong. I suggest that you and Mrs Queen hold a press conference presenting her as the CEO and strengthening the agreement between our two companies.

Xander groans he hated corporate jobs, this is the exact reason he had worked in construction back in Chicago he preferred to work with his hands rather than handle paperwork and press conferences. That was more of an Andrew job or even Giles.  
Xander sighs before running his hands through his hair as he goes into deep thought about what he was supposed to do here. After a moment he shakes his head "Leave her be Ned. Her husband is missing, let her family grief I'll deal with the CEO crap until she makes her decision."\

* * *

Buffy adjusts her mask before turning to Diggle "You sure this is it?" She asks as she places the knives along the edges of her suit before sharpening the blade and looking out the window at the firemen.

"It's the only fire in town." Diggle tells her flatly before turning to her, staring astonished for a moment by her suit, he remembered her suit in Bulgaria to say this one was different was an understatement. This one was slicker clearly meant for that of an assassin whereas her other one had seemed rougher around the edges.  
Buffy frowns noticing Dig still watching her carefully "Yo, Diggle, anyone in there?"

Diggle shakes his head and clears his throat "Sorry. I'm just..." He sighs at the young woman who was so much like his little sister that it scared him how protective he had become over her in the years they had known each other.

Buffy seemingly noticing his worry smiles slightly, they may not be in the best place right now and they definitely had a long and loud conversation that needed to be had but his worry made her know that they would make it through it.  
"I'll be fine. Not like I haven't done this before." She tells him before placing a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment.  
Diggle smiles before opening the car door for her "Remember I'll be on comms with The Hood so you can't contact me. Text me, let me know what happens...and Buffy..."

Buffy pauses and turns around to face him her hair swishing around her "Yeah."  
"Be careful...and make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Buffy smirks before giving him a mock salute "Yes sir, oh captain my captain." She says making him chuckle as she runs out the car and leaps up the side of the building climbing along the drain pipe.

* * *

Buffy crashes through the second story window only to freeze at the sight before her, The Hood was climbing the ceiling while a firefighter was holding another by the hand as he dangled above the flames below.

Her eyes widen as she spots the fireman currently holding the other grin murderously, as his hold on the other man loosens Buffy runs towards the flames, grabbing onto a metal chain dangling from the wall she swings towards the man just as the other firefighter releases him.

Grasping his waist as she swings by she manages to get them both onto the lower level of the building right below where The Hood was currently attacking the attempted murderer.

She dumps the man on the ground before kicking him in the face "Sorry." She winces. She hated doing that but she couldn't let him see her, anyway better unconscious than burnt to a crisp and dead.  
Grabbing the scythe off her back she climbs up the scaffolding, just as she leaps onto the platform she watches as the man knocks down The Hood before violently kicking him in the stomach.

Buffy steps forward and kicks the man in the back knocking him away from The Hood.

The man stumbles before glaring at the blonde, he swings out his fist but she merely ducks the blow before grabbing his arm, twisting it awkwardly he cries out in pain only to grunt as she kicks him in the gut. Dropping down to her knees she sweeps his legs out from under him, knocking him down to the ground.  
She glances down at him for a second before grabbing a pair of handcuffs in her suit and cuffing him to the scaffolding "You sit tight." She hisses before turning to The Hood.

Oliver stares up at the woman who had saved his life for the second time, her face was hidden by her mask leaving only her eyes visible, which seemed to be gleaming with fire. As did her hair.  
She crouches down next to him being aware to keep a fair distance so that she wouldn't reveal her identity "We have to stop meeting like this." She says sweetly.

Oliver stares up at her in confusion, however, the next thing he knew there was a searing pain in his head before everything went black.

Buffy looks down at The Hood for a moment before turning back to her prisoner only to drop backwards as she sees him dislocate his own hand before lighting up some sort of device which makes her momentarily lose her focus and make her clench her eyes shut tightly due to the brightness.  
When she finally opens her eyes again she groans in annoyance he was gone.  
Rolling her shoulders in frustration she kicks at the ground "I hate this town." She mumbles "Demons simpler ergo much better." She continues to complain as she throws The Hood over her shoulder before heading back down to grab the unconscious fireman.

* * *

Oliver hangs up the phone after speaking to Laurel and moves to head to the exit. He was angry and upset, he had almost let a man die and he himself had almost gotten killed. If it wasn't for the woman in red both of them would likely be dead. Oliver for the first time in his life felt utterly and completely useless.

As he heads for the door a voice makes him pause "So Laurel's on her own against a murderer who burns people alive." Diggle hisses clearly unimpressed that Oliver had decided to leave Laurel to finish the case alone.  
Oliver pauses in his steps but doesn't turn to face his friend "I can't right every wrong in this city. And she's not on her own."  
Diggle scoffs "Yeah the woman in red. Look, Oliver, I get it. Maybe you're not back to 100% like you thought."  
Oliver after a brief hesitation turns to face Diggle "Maybe I'm not."

Diggle tilts his head in disbelief before swinging his fist out at Oliver who immediately blocks the blow, only to have Diggle grab his other elbow and force him down onto the table.  
Oliver groans before elbowing Diggle in the stomach and reversing their positions.  
"What did that prove? Oliver hisses.

"This is one sturdy desk." Diggle quips before standing and turning back to face Oliver "Clearly your problem isn't physical. What do you want to do here Oliver...want me to contact the woman in red? You want her to take over your mission...cause right now you don't seem to be dealing with your problem."

* * *

Five Years Ago: Westbury

"I'm done." Buffy hisses as she snaps the last demon's neck before stabbing the one of the ground through the heart with the scythe.

She takes a deep breath before turning to the quivering whimpering man in the corner of the room "Stop making me save your life, Andrew." Buffy hisses as she grasps the back of his neck and yanks him off the ground and back to his feet.  
"I am finally allowed free rein, Andrew. I don't fancy spending my time, helping you try for the billionth time not to die. I haven't even stepped foot in a mall in over 6 months Andrew, 6 months!" She cries out in frustration before twirling the scythe in her hands "Are we in an understanding?" She asks as she points the blade at Andrew.  
Andrew gulps as he stares with wide eyes at the weapon "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." Buffy says with a grin before launching the scythe behind Andrew making him gasp loudly before turning around to see the scythe bury itself in a demon's skull.

* * *

Present Day: Starling City

"I thought you were done helping Laurel." Diggle says as he spots Oliver back in the foundry going through computer files regarding the fireman's case.  
He frowns in confusion just a few hours ago, Oliver had made it dead clear that he wasn't going to get involved and now he was back, something must have happened.

"The first firefighter to die was Garfield Linz." Oliver says as he continues to stare at the computer screens ahead of him.

"Well, being dead kind of rules him out as a murder suspect, right?" When Oliver doesn't respond Diggle sighs before grabbing a seat and moving over to him "Oliver, I'm sorry I came at you so hard, but I've been there. I know what it's like to stare death in the face and be the one who blinks."  
"That's not it." Oliver tells him quietly "I've—I've been close to death on the island more times than I can remember and I never feared it because I had nothing to lose. But when that archer almost killed me, when I stared death in the face then, I thought about all the people that I've let into my life since I've been back, my family, Laurel, Tommy. And that made me afraid—afraid of what would happen to those people if they lost me again. And for the for the first time in so long, I had something to lose."

* * *

Buffy runs a hand through her hair and crosses her legs underneath her as she continues to flip through books and search for intel on her laptop.  
She was looking into finding out why a member of the League was in Starling, however, nothing she was finding was adding up.

She groans in frustration, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere until she could find out who Al Sa-Her actually was behind the mask.

"Hey Buff." Xander says as he pops his head into her room making her gasp in shock before quickly slamming her laptop shut and hiding the books she had stolen from the League years ago under a pillow.

Xander frowns "You alright?" He asks slightly confused to her odd behaviour, she wasn't looking him in the eye and she seemed nervous.  
He glances down at her laptop frowning "What you looking at?"

"Nothin much." Buffy says sweetly as she stands from the bed "Just a new target." She offers him a small smile willing him to believe her. She hated this, not telling him the truth but there were things in her past, from the past five years that her friends were better off never knowing about. Her past with the League was one of them.

When Xander looks at her sceptically for a second she inhales sharply only to breathe in relief when he shakes his head and offers her a small smirk before gesturing to the garment bag in his hands.  
Buffy's eyes instantly drop "No." She hisses.  
Xander merely grins before shoving the bag into her arms "Come on Buff, we have a fundraiser to attend."

* * *

Buffy runs her hands through her curly blonde locks before adjusting her dress ( /images/kmeI3V), it was a beautiful red dress, with a silk jacket to cover her scars, which actually surprised her, considering some of the clothes that Xander wears around the house this dress had shocked her.

"So why are we here?" She asks as she places her arm through Xander's and lets him lead her through the party.  
Xander glances at her before looking around the room, clearly, he was looking for something specific "I've been digging into the Intel Diggle sent you about The Noddel Tower fire. The first victim, Garfield Linz...he was assumed dead."

Buffy arches a brow at him as he leads her onto the dance floor before leading her into a waltz.  
Buffy bites her lips to keep from laughing at the look of concentration on Xander's face as he kept from trying to step on her toes.

"Assumed?" She asks holding back a chuckle and trying to get back to a serious point.  
"They never recovered his body." Xander tells her as he twirls her.  
As she spins back to him she frowns "Figured he'd be shish-kebabbed but not dust."  
"Exactly. Think about it all the other men in that regiment have alibis. Except the one..."  
"That's already dead." Buffy finishes before smiling "One of those team members is here now." She realises finally, as she spots Laurel Lance and Oliver Queen currently speaking to a man from the photo that had been in the file.

Buffy smiles before pulling herself away from Xander "I am suddenly finding myself a little thirsty."

Xander chuckles in amusement "I will see you soon Lady Buff." He says before tapping his comms giving her a knowing look before heading further into the fundraiser while she herself heads towards the bar.

"Scotch on the rocks." Buffy asks politely to the cute bartender as she approaches the bar.  
Leaning her arms on the table she tucks one of her curls behind her ear while taking a sip of her drink.

 _"_ _I've been doing this a long time."_ Buffy hears the firefighter say "... _but I've never seen a fire like that. It was like some monster out of a science fiction movie. I radioed for my men to get the hell out of there. But Linz, he wouldn't go. Begged me to send the unit back in. But I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it. God help me, I left him to burn."_ Buffy eyes widen at that and she can't help but sympathise with the man she understood having to make that tough choice. As much as she loved her job she had been forced to make that decision before. Once when a young couple had both been impaled by the same tree log, the man was as good as dead but the only thing keeping him alive was the log, whereas the woman would die if it wasn't removed.  
Sighing Buffy takes another drink before pausing as Oliver Queen speaks up " _You don't have to."_ He says to the firefighter who was washed with guilt at not being able to bring his friend back " _He is back."_

Before Buffy can even do anything else she freezes as she hears loud footsteps approaching.  
She reaches for her comms "Xander, we have a problem."  
" _Mask?"_

Buffy nods and moves across the dance floor away from Queen and Lance towards where Xander was standing in the corner.  
"No time for the suit." She says as she takes her mask from him and places it over her face before pausing as Xander hands her a pair of sunglasses "We're in light here Buffy." He tells her "Not darkness, you really think people won't recognise you just because they can't see your cheekbones?"

Buffy rolls her eyes, but takes the dark glasses and places them over her eyes, she then reaches for the hem of her dress and tears it up her right leg up to the thigh "Get those lights and camera's off." She tells him just as a young woman screams and an explosion goes off.  
"Go!" Buffy yells before turning to see Linz standing in front of Oliver, Laurel and the fireman.

Buffy runs at the man tackling him to the ground causing Laurel to gasp in shock whole Oliver's eyes widen.  
Buffy stands and kicks the man in the chest before grabbing the back of his head and slamming it onto the bar.

"Go!" She hisses towards Oliver and Laurel.  
Oliver stares at her for a moment mesmerised before pushing Laurel towards the exit.

Buffy momentarily pauses as she spots Diggle across the room "Bu-!" He tries to yell only for Xander to appear next to him speaking to him loudly.  
Diggle and Xander both glance at her before heading for the exit.  
Buffy grunts in pain as a log is tossed at her making her fly towards the flames.

"Stay out of this!" Linz yells as he glares at his friend. Buffy growls and moves to stand however suddenly the fire spreads and the upper-level drops and she is suddenly pinned down by two large metal poles.

Buffy groans in pain as the metal begins to heat up, the flames spreading rapidly.  
She looks up and her eyes widen as she spots Linz holding his lighter prepared to light up the man that had betrayed him however quickly an arrow shoots it out of his grasp.  
"Crap." Buffy mumbles before finally shoving the metal poles off her legs and standing it's then that she sees The Hood pointing an arrow at Linz while the other fireman makes a run for it.

Buffy tilts her head in interest before grabbing the hidden knife from her thigh and approaching the two, making sure to keep a fair distance from The Hood and Linz. She found herself curious as to how he would handle this, and couldn't make herself stop it.  
"I'm not scared to die." Linz hisses.

The Hood lowers his bow "You're afraid to live. Let me get you out of here. Linz, let me get you help."  
Buffy turns to the man "That's what you want." She says softly drawing both men's attention "Things set right. To get help like you should have."  
Linz looks down at the ground "Thanks, but I'm already burned."

Buffy's eyes widen as he moves to walk into the fire "No!" She exclaims she tries to approach him only for The Hood to grab a hold of her waist "No!" He growls at her before yanking her towards the fire escape.

Buffy allows herself to be dragged as it was too late to help Linz, she frowns in confusion at herself, she shouldn't want to help him, he was a murderer but there was something...something about him that reminded her of herself not so long ago. A part that still needs redemption.

* * *

As The Hood pulls her onto the roof Buffy pushes him away from her knocking him to the ground. She hisses at him before moving to the edge of the roof only to have an arrow fly right by her head, narrowly missing her ear.

"Who are you!?" He hisses his bow aimed at her.  
Buffy rolls her eyes and turns to him "None of your business." She hisses in a sultry deep voice, hiding her normal sweet voice.  
"This is my city." He growls as he approaches her "That makes it my business when you run around like you own the place."  
Buffy can't help but chuckle slightly "Your city huh?" She asks with a slight scoff "Last I heard you didn't care anymore."

Suddenly another arrow flies at her, he was obviously hoping to pin her hand to a nearby brick wall, however, what he didn't expect was her quick reflexes as she catches the arrow in her hands and launches it back at him with ease.  
"Look Legolas." She says annoyed "I have other things to do that don't concern you. So do your job, I'm not here to do it for you."

Buffy turns on him "Damn Robin Hood." She mutters under her breath as she heads for the exit.

She pauses as she hears feet running towards her, she turns just in time to block a blow from The Hood, she glares at him as she catches his wrist in her palms "That's how you say thank you for saving your life, kinda sucks if you ask me. You could use some pointers." She says for shoving him away.

"I didn't ask for your help!" He hisses as he swings his fist out.  
Buffy rolls her eyes before ducking the blow, she swings her leg up kicking him in the stomach before spinning around and backhanding him across the face.

She kicks her leg up again but he blocks it with his arm and grabs a hold of her ankle, she smirks at him before twisting her body into a cartwheel yanking her ankle from his grasp and kicking him in the face.  
The Hood stumbles before growling, he swings his bow at her catching her jaw, as she stumbles he kicks her in the gut making her stumble.

Buffy chuckles impressed before running at him, placing a foot on his knee she swings her other leg around kicking him in the face before wrapping it around his neck. Wrapping her thigh tightly around his neck she twists her body around him pulling him down to the ground while she lands on top of him.

Her knees were pressed against his chest as he glared up at her "You should really learn to say thank you." She says sweetly as she yanks to bow from his grasp and takes an arrow from his quiver, when she spots the leather wiring she grins "I mean come on, Captain Hook most probably has more manners than you."  
The Hood growls and attempts to move her only for her to hold him down easily "You saved me yes...but why...?"

Buffy shrugs "You were there. Plus...I would have felt like a real bitch if I had just left you there to die. Any archer deserves a better fall when he spends so long trying to rise."

The Hood frowns this woman, this woman in red, she was truly fascinating, trained like an assassin but with a heart of gold, she had sympathy and respect for fellow fighters.  
Suddenly she raises the bow and releases an arrow burying it in a nearby building. Before he can do anything she attaches him to the leather wiring before climbing off him.

Kicking him quickly sending him skidding across the floor she stands and wraps the other end of the wire around a metal pole "Let me know when I can stop doing your job." She says before tossing the bow at him with such force that he goes off the roof.

Oliver momentarily thought he was going to die only to gasp in shock as his body collides with the nearby wall of another building opposite the club. He looks down to see himself handing 20feet off the ground the metal wire keeping him from falling to his death.

He looks over back at the other building only to spot the woman in red leaping off the building onto a nearby roof.

* * *

Five Years Ago -Westbury

Buffy leaps off the roof of the mansion before taking a deep breath, soaking in the countryside air. The roof was one of the few places she could go to be alone these days, there were girls everywhere, taking up every corner, there was nowhere to breath in there.  
Taking another deep breath she stretches out her arms over her head taking pleasure in the silence.

After a few minutes of just enjoying the peace before the war, she heads back into the building only to instantly groan as she hears arguing teenage girls yelling across the room in the common room.  
She quickly hides behind the wall as a bunch of the girls walk by "Oh I am so telling Buffy on you!" One of the girls whines immediately making the blonde groan.

Once the coast was clear Buffy quickly legs it up to her room and locks the door behind her. Taking a deep breath she sighs, there would only be a few more moments before the girls realised where she was. Taking a step towards her bed she flops down on the bedspread and closes her eyes. Picking up her phone she takes a quick peek only to sigh sadly as she sees the missed call from Dawn.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"So I see Red did a number on you." Diggle says as he enters the training room just as Oliver jumps down from the salamander ladder. He gestures the Oliver's bruised jaw and the growing bruises on his ribs.  
Oliver chuckles "Yeah...she's strong." He says seriously, something curious about her tearing at him.

Diggle shrugs "Don't look at me." He says, he may know who she is but like he kept Oliver's secret he would keep Buffy's. Plus when it came to her strength that was a question he was still asking to this day.  
The two stand there is silence for a moment before Oliver looks at Diggle seriously "Thank you." He says softly he says surprising the other man.

"What for?" Diggle asks curiously, even though it was pretty obvious, but he just wanted to hear Oliver admit it.  
"You know what for." Oliver says as he approaches his friend.  
Diggle surprises his smile and looks at his partner "So what's next? More training?"  
Oliver smiles "No, we go hunting." He says with a grin before grabbing his father's book from Diggle's hands "But first, call up the friend in red."

* * *

Buffy sits on the dustbin in the alleyway where Diggle had asked her to meet The Hood. She was in her suit, mask covering her mouth and nose while her eyes were hidden by the darkness of the dark alley.  
She sits patiently and continues to sharpen the scythe, as she does she hears an arrow land by the wall before a body floats to the ground and a set of footsteps approaches her.

"Legolas...bout damn time." She says as she crosses her legs staying in the shadows.

Oliver glances at the woman before him, her blonde hair, which, always seemed to be changing colours was tied up in a high ponytail. Her suit was interesting, it seemed to be built for an assassin, it suited her.  
"You going to keep gawking Hawkeye?" She asks unimpressed.

Sighing Oliver places a hand on the voice modulator before approaching her, making sure to keep a fair distance, he had already had his ass beat by her once in the past 48 hours. He really didn't fancy going at it another round.  
"Why are you here?" He asks.  
Buffy arches a brow at him "You asked me to show up." She states obviously.  
"No." He growls "Why...are...you...here, in my city?"

Buffy rolls her eyes before twirling the scythe in her palms and leaping off the bin to approach him "Oh, we're back to that whole, this is my city gig, huh?"  
When The Hood doesn't respond she chuckles before tapping him on the chest lightly and circling him "Someone doesn't like to share." She replies her voice deepening.  
The Hood glares down at her "I asked you a question?"

Buffy rolls her eyes and leaning against the wall and plays with the scythe before pointing the axe at him "Don't worry, I don't want to join your little vigilante team and I'm not here to help you...no one...cops...civilians can know I'm here."

"Why?" He huffs out as he stares at the scythe currently pointed at him "What so secret?"  
"Let's just say the people I'm here to take down...they need to be taken down by someone who can hide. That's me. The cops don't know me...no publicity...very few people know I'm here and the ones that do aren't very nice."  
"Who are they?" He growls, he didn't like unknown threats, especially in his home.

Buffy chuckles in amusement; like he would believe her, that was extremely unlikely, if she told him demons were masquerading as humans in his city he would most likely attack her again.  
"These people are strong and dangerous, no soul, they will kill whoever they want whenever they want. Trust me...you deal with your people I'll deal with mine. Then I'm gone." Buffy pauses and looks at him seriously "So you gonna get back to work?"

Oliver stares at the woman in front of him in interest, the phrase _no soul_ has struck, it reminded him of a creature he met during his time on the island. At her question he freezes, he knew he shouldn't trust this woman but there was something about her, a kindred spirit of sorts.  
He nods "I'm back."

* * *

"Hey." Buffy says as she lowers herself from the fire escape ladder right in front of Diggle as he moves to enter his apartment.

Diggle freezes as the assassin clad woman lowers herself from the fire escape before looking at him with big green eyes. He smiles as she lowers her mask, she still had the innocence of a child sometimes, even after all she had seen and done. Even when she was 23 and had lost the person she loved so much she still had these child-like eyes.  
Buffy looks at him nervously "So I talked to your boss...partner...friend..." She groans "How does that work?"  
"I'd tell you if I knew." He says with a chuckle before moving to sit down on the ground.  
Buffy sighs before sitting next to him "Dig..."

"Stop." He says cutting her off "I should have believed you." He says softly, the regret at their argument 6 weeks ago evident in his voice "It's just...after I realised it was you who saved The Hood and then with what happened at the club and the broken ribs...I just...I thought you went back to that life. It crushed me, Buffy. You're my kid sister and when I found you in Bulgaria, you were in such a dark place. I understand that losing Lincoln..." Buffy winces at the sound of her dead lover's name, Diggle notices and places a comforting hand on her shoulder before continuing "After he died, that piled up with everything that had happened to you, you snapped. I hated seeing you like that, you didn't care about your life nor anything else. Being a mercenary was the worse thing for you at that time and I was worried you were going back to bad habits."

Buffy takes a shaky breath before looking at her best friend carefully "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but what I'm doing...there are...people from my past they are dangerous...I managed to track them. That's why I'm in Starling City. I can't tell you everything because it's a mission from the Watcher's Council. I need you to trust me here, Dig...can you do that?"  
Diggle looks at his best friend before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placing his chin on the top of her forehead "Always will, Buffy."

Buffy chuckles before asking him a question that had been nagging at her "Can I trust The Hood?"  
"No." Diggle says softly "But you can trust the man underneath and you can trust me."  
Buffy pauses for a moment to think about what he was saying and what he meant before nodding.  
The two sit there in a comfortable silence for a few minutes for Diggle smirks "So whose The Goofy pretty boy doctor?"  
Buffy's eyes widen before she places her head in her hands and groans in embarrassment "Oh God."

* * *

Later that night Buffy sits down on Willow's bed in her PJ's and looks over at her friend who was currently staring at the computer screens in front her intently.  
"Are you sure about this Buffy?" Willow asks sceptically as she turns to the blonde.  
Buffy nods, after talking to Diggle Buffy knew what she needed to do. She needed to focus on her mission, The Hood was right, this was his city, yes she will help when she can but she needed to focus on the whole reason she gave up her life in Chicago.  
"I need to focus on why I came here. No more distractions. Leave The Hood to handle the city."


	11. Trust but Verify

_"_ _Shortly after 1:00 AM..."  
_ Buffy hears the reporter on the TV say as she runs into the living room searching around the room desperately. Willow and Xander, who were both perched on the couch eating eggs and bacon glance at the blonde "You missing your bacon Buff?" Xander asks as he glances away from the TV.

"Nope." Buffy mumbles before climbing over the couch to get to the coffee table.

 _"_ _...three masked robbers approached the armoured vehicle_ _after launching what appears to be—"_

"Yes!" Buffy exclaims as she climbs out from underneath the coffee table with Xander's left shoe, she tilts it and holds out her hand to catch her phone as it drops out of the shoe.  
Willow frowns at the sight "Buffy, why was your phone in Xander's shoe?"  
Buffy shrugs, she really had no idea, she couldn't really remember a lot of last night, she had had more than a couple of drinks last night, which in retrospect was probably not the best idea.

"Beats me. Maybe it was scared." With a shrug of her shoulders, she turns and glances at the TV watching the security footage for a second before heading towards the front door where her bag was.

"Buffy!" Xander calls as she grabs her things.  
Buffy tucks her hair behind her ear before glancing back over at her best friend "Yeah Xand?"  
Xander tosses her a beeper causing her to chuckle slightly at the slight, it was so 90's.  
"I'll call you when I find the next target."

Buffy nods in appreciation before turning to Willow, who was still researching into Wolfram and Hart as well as keeping an eye out for Marcus "Anything?" Buffy asks knowing the redhead would understand her.

Willow shakes her head in disappointment and frustration, she hadn't found anything yet, and it was annoying her that she couldn't get what they needed faster.  
Buffy gives her a small smile of reassurance before grabbing her jacket and heading to work.

* * *

"I was researching someone." Oliver tells Diggle in the foundry as he shows him the footage of the robbery. He types into the computer bringing up his current suspect "Bodyguard who works for a private security firm, Black Hawk Squad Protecting Group." Diggle's face falls as he spots the photo "His name is Ted Gaynor."

Diggle clenches his jaw as Oliver stops speaking, there was no way in hell Ted was involved with any of this. That was one thing he was certain of. "Oliver, Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer, my first tour in Afghanistan."

Oliver who was leaning over staring at the computer freezes at his words, his jaw slackens in shock as he turns to Diggle "Dig, I'm sorry..." Oliver sighs before slamming his father's book shut "...but Gaynor's on the list." He turns and walks away from Diggle who continues to stay rooted to the spot motionless "Gaynor's a few hundred thousand dollars short of making your list." Diggle points out, refusing to believe that Gaynor would do anything that would warrant him getting on the list.

* * *

"I'm here now Xander" Buffy says as she presses her comms before climbing in through the window at the five-star restaurant. As she looks around the stunning white marble kitchen she sighs in relief that the place was under reconstruction otherwise this would get messy and fast.

She glances down at her watch before reaching for her comms "Xand, remember I haven't got long till Stewart notices that I disappeared halfway through a 15-hour shift."

 _"_ _I know Buffy."_ He tells her, she listens carefully as he types away at the computer in his office at Queen Consolidated before finally it stops _"Okay, Gordon Rivers..."_ Xander suddenly inhales sharply _"Buffy you remember the Gentleman?"_

Buffy groans "Creep, floating, likes to steal voices and cut out people's heart? Unfortunately."  
 _"_ _Well, meet their just a creepy and floaty cousin. Deevak. He was a demon crime lord in L.A. He's supposed to be dead go figure."  
_ Buffy sighs "Why can't things just stay dead..." She pauses "...well other than me."  
Buffy hears Xander chuckle in amusement before hearing him inhale sharply _"Dammit Moira alert. Going silent."_

"Got it." Buffy says as she adjusts her mask and switches the scythe to her other hand while she reaches out for one of the doors leading into the dining hall.

As she pokes her head through the door she spots the light haired man standing at one of the long tables in the dining room. He was adjusting the table clothes slightly before making sure that all the cutlery was in line.  
Buffy arches a brow at the blonde before rolling her eyes forcing the door open with a loud slamming noise.

Gordan gasps in shock only for his eyes to narrow as they hit the blonde slayer "This isn't Halloween little girl." Buffy merely tilts her head in amusement "You vigilante types really are a pain."  
Buffy chuckles in amusement before revealing the scythe that was currently hidden behind her back "I'm not a vigilante."

Gordan's eyes widen at the sight of the scythe, the stories about the last remaining Slayer all described a weapon like that. "Slayer." He hisses as he grabs one of the knives off the table.

As he reaches for the knife Buffy launches the scythe towards him, it slices through his hand and as blood covers the white table cloth he screams in agony.

Running towards him Buffy leaps onto the table and does a spinning kick hitting him in the face. As he drops to the ground Buffy twists through the air landing right next to the scythe.

As she clasps it her palm she feels the rush of power for a moment before approaching the demon. He was gasping in pain as his demon hand forces itself out of hiding to fill the loss of the human limb.

Pinning him with her foot she looks down at him carefully "Let me guess you're a bottom of the barrel type demon." She sighs it was unlikely that she was going to get any information for him about The Triad or Wolfram and Hart.

"Oh well." She says with a shrug before raising the scythe, however suddenly her phone starts ringing making her pause. At her hesitation Gordon kicks her in the stomach making her fly backwards and crash through the adjoining window to the staff room.

Buffy groans in pain as she lands on the hard floor "I really hate this job." She says slowly as she pulls herself up. Glancing through the now broken window she looks into the dining room where the pool of blood in the centre of the room was now empty. Gordon was gone. "Dammit!" She exclaims just as her cell begins ringing again.

Ripping off her mask she grabs her phone "What!" She asks not bothering to look at the caller ID.  
 _"_ _Buffy, it's me."_ John Diggle's voice says urgently.  
Instantly Buffy tensed up "Dig, what's wrong?"  
" _I need you to come watch Ted."_

Buffy frowns it had been a long time since she had heard that name "Wait, John what's going now isn't exactly—"  
Buffy is cut off as Diggle's voice cuts her off _"Buffy, The Arrow went after Ted."_

In that moment Buffy freezes, Ted had been there during her first tour in Afghanistan, it had been John's third and both he and Ted had helped her out so much. Taking a deep breath Buffy puts her mask back on before reaching for her comms "Xander I'm heading off mission. Find an excuse for Stewart I'm going silent."

Buffy doesn't give him a chance to respond as she switches off her comms and brings her phone back to her ear "I'm on it."

* * *

"I could have shot you." Oliver says furiously as he slams his bow down on the table before turning to glare at Diggle. He couldn't believe his partner had been so reckless showing up at Ted's like that. Oliver growls in frustration, he could have killed Diggle because of this recklessness "I could have killed you." He continued "What the hell were you thinking?!" He exclaims as he stops in front of Diggle who was merely glaring at him with crossed arms.

At that Diggle snaps "I'm not going to let you William Tell an innocent man." Diggle hisses as he points an accusing finger at Oliver.

"Gaynor isn't innocent, Diggle." Oliver argues as he turns his back on the other man.

"You seem to think that mainly because of what's in your damn book which you apparently trust more than you trust me."  
Oliver's eyes glaze over before he turns back to Diggle "I—I trust my father, and he explained to me that every name on that list has a reason to be there."  
Diggle frowns in confusion for a second, that wasn't what Oliver had originally told him about the book "I thought you took that book off your father's dead body. How could he have been so chatty?"

Oliver pauses, his jaw clenches unsure if he should tell Diggle what really happened, "A few years ago, I found a message he left me explaining the list."  
Diggle's anger grows at another one of Oliver's vague answers he was getting really sick of the not knowing, and the being left in the dark "Oliver, how was that possible? You were on a deserted island."

"I didn't say that I found it on the island." Oliver forces out, finally admitting the truth "Diggle, for the past four months, I have lied to, hurt, and hid things from all the people that I care about. Do you really think that I would do all of this if I wasn't sure?"

* * *

Buffy watches from the fire escape opposite the alley that Diggle had asked her to meet him at. With a sigh she glances at her phone, two missed calls from Dean, one from Stewart and five from Xander.

Buffy groans before closing her phone, she knew Xander was worried and from the looks of it, the excuse he used to get her out of work had worked.  
Glancing back down at the alleyway she runs her hands through her hair, it was getting late now, after making sure that Ted had gotten back to his home safe she had come straight here. That had been half an hour ago.  
"Come on Dig, where are you?"

As the words leave her lips a car pulls up and the door slams open, Buffy glances down and sighs in relief as she spots the man in questions now standing just below her. Grabbing onto the bars of the fire escape she lifts her body into the air before allowing herself to drop to the ground, landing right in front of Diggle.

Diggle jumps slightly, forgetting how much like an assassin she actually was, he could have sworn that whatever had caused her to get super-strength also made her part cat.

Buffy tilts her head at her friend before lowering her mask "You wanna explain to me what's going on? Why is the Hood going after Ted?"  
Diggle sighs, he was still furious at Oliver "He has this list." Dig says hesitantly as he rubs his head before gesturing to his car.

Buffy nods and climbs into the car waiting for him to sit back down before turning to him "Alright what is this list?"  
Diggle groans "Those people he's been going after, they're all on this list."  
"So it's a list of bad guys. Huh. I have the same one. But mine is most probably prettier. It's pink."

Diggle doesn't seem to share her amusement like he normally does, he clenches his fist holding the steering wheel tightly "Ted's on the list."  
"What?" Buffy asks astonished, she couldn't believe that someone would believe that Ted of all people would ever hurt anyone "No." She shakes her head refusing to believe it, Ted wasn't they type of person The Hood would go after. He just wasn't. None of this made any sense.

Diggle nods in agreement, he knew what she was thinking because he had been thinking the exact same thing several hours ago. "We need to protect him."  
Buffy nods in agreement "We will Dig. I promise."

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Willow exclaims as she hits the computer screen repeatedly, the computer was so slow that she could have probably walked to L.A straight into Wolfram and Hart to get the information before the page even finished loading.

Willow groans in frustration and pulls at her hair: she was sick of this everything was so slow. Taking a shaky breath she thinks back to years ago where she would have merely raised a hand and the page would have told her everything she needed to know in a matter of seconds. Magic had been an addiction, one she had always had trouble shaking. Without even realising it she had raised her hand towards the computer screen.  
Just as her fingers are about to make contact however her eyes widen as she realises what she is doing. She lowers her hands and rolls her shoulders before huffing out a breath of air.

At that moment her phone starts ringing, thankful for the distraction Willow grabs the phone "Hello?"  
 _"_ _Yes, Willow...It's Giles."_

Willow smiles at the sound of the older man's voice, it had been such a long time since she had seen him. Since the fallout between him and Buffy after Lincoln's death, Buffy had refused to see him. She would work with the council but she wouldn't see Giles. Because of that, the relationship between the original scoobies all felt fractured.

As much as she had hated Giles for what he said to Buffy, Willow couldn't help but miss the man, he had been such a big part of their lives and he still was.  
"So what can I do for you Giles?" Willow asks curiously after a moment, it was normally Xander who acted as the buffer for the group, not her.

 _"Yes, Xander mentioned that you had been looking in Wolfram and Hart and The Triad. I may have some information for you..."_

* * *

"Two days later, I am still digging regurgitated tacos out of the car vents and he asks me why I won't turn on the AC." Ted finishes his story making both Buffy and Diggle burst out in laughter.  
Buffy smiles at their old friend, it felt good, she had lost contact with a lot of people after Lincoln's Death, with her travelling so much, it had been hard.

She chuckles in amusement at his joke before snacking a chip off Diggle's plate as he had left the Big Belly Burger to get cold.  
"All right, you win." Diggle says with a laugh as he admits defeat "Bodyguarding Queen was never that bad."  
"Six years serving my country and the only thing I'm qualified for is babysitting spoiled brats."

Buffy chuckles "That's cause you didn't have much brains to begin with."  
As Diggle laughs Ted glares at the blonde playfully "Well not all of us are smart enough to become medics. And here I thought the blonde had seeped to your head."  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement "Remember Ted, I can still kick your ass."  
"Maybe you should take over my job." He suggests half-heartedly.

"Nah." Buffy says with a shrug "I think I'll take injured people over spoilt brats any day."  
Ted chuckles in amusement before raising his mug of coffee "I'll drink to that." He says with a smile.  
Diggle frowns "Well, Ted, they're not all like that."

"I haven't met one yet that would survive a single day in county" As Ted speaks Buffy glances over at Diggle who didn't seem so pleased with the response.  
Trying to lower the tension Buffy turns to Ted "Hey your judgment isn't exactly great. Remember you thought I was a silly little weak blonde girl who couldn't take care of herself."

Ted laughs slightly nodding in agreement, he had seen her as nothing more than a little girl when she first showed up, but after seeing her toss 6 of the best-trained soldiers as well as Diggle around the room easily he had quickly changed his mind. "You were different Buff, but being around these kids...it sometimes makes me wonder what I was doing over there."

At that moment before Buffy or Dig could say anything else Carly heads over and places another plate in the middle of the table "Speciality of the house."  
Buffy grins as Carly places a large piece of cake in front of her "You are a God."  
Carly grins, "I know, sweetie." She says before placing a plate of cake in front of Ted as well. At that Diggle turns to his ex-sister in law an appalled look on his face "Where's my cake?"

Carly merely glares at him and places her hands on her lips, as she does Buffy looks over at Ted "He's angered the beast."  
Ted nods in agreement before gulping slightly.  
"No." Carly says strongly as she turns to Diggle "Tired of listening to you complain about the dry cleaner shrinking your suits."

Buffy laughs almost spitting out the food in her mouth before glancing at Diggle with an arched brow who was now looking down at the ground "Oh, yeah." He mumbles as Carly grins successfully.

Buffy watches Carly for a moment before turning back to Diggle, who had a goofy smile on his face "How long?" Ted asks her gesturing to Carly.  
Diggle frowns in confusion "What?" Buffy merely ignores him and turns to Ted "Way too long." She tells him before slapping Diggle's fork away as he tries to go for a piece of her cake.

Diggle rolls his eyes at the blonde before looking at both his friends "What are you two talking about?"  
Buffy rolls her shoulders "Your turn. I've tried already."  
Ted sighs before turning back to Diggle "She likes you." He says gesturing to Carly.

Immediately Diggle's face goes serious and a wave of protectiveness can be seen crossing his features "She's my sister-in-law, Ted."  
"Not anymore."  
Buffy glares at Ted for the way he said it and turns to John who had a look of grief on his face now "Smooth Ted."

Ted sighs before focusing on Diggle seriously "Your brother's gone, John, but you are here." Ted turns his focus on Buffy "Don't even get me started on you and Lincoln, we'll be here for hours."

At that moment a taller man approaches the three of them, as he does both Buffy and Diggle instantly tense up.  
"Car's waiting outside. Got a client to drop off at a shakin' art gallery opening."  
Ted nods before turning to both Buffy and Diggle who were clearly not happy with the appearance of the other man "John, Buffy you remember Paul Knox."  
"Unfortunately." Buffy hisses as she turns to Paul who smiles at the young blonde "Good to see you too Summers."

"It was better when I was kicking you ass." Buffy says, not even bothering to hide her distaste for the man who treated her like a piece of ass rather than a soldier.

John places a hand on Buffy's knee trying to keep her from battering the man who now had a hand outstretched towards him "Pleasure to be working with you." Diggle shakes his hand for a brief moment before pulling away.

"I'll wait for you outside." Knox says to Ted before glancing at Buffy "Hope to see you again, Summers."  
As he leaves the room Buffy turns to Ted "Did I mention he's still a creep?"  
Ted sighs but before he could say anything Diggle leans forwards towards him "I didn't know Knox worked at Black Hawk."

Ted nods "They recruited him when his tour ended last month." John glances at Buffy who still looked furious. Knox had been horrible during her first tour, had tried to make her look weak and undermined her whenever he had the chance. That was only one of the reasons why Diggle didn't like the man himself.

"People change, John and everyone deserves a chance to prove it."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

 _"_ _So how is it there in England?"_ Dawn asks her sister as they speak over the phone for the first time in over a month.

Buffy glances around her hiding place on the roof, she had been hiding up here for several hours trying to avoid the girls. They were driving her completely insane, it was like living with 200 different versions of Dawn all at once.  
"It's like...well I think I'm going to start going grey if I have to break up one more girl fight."  
Dawn chuckles in amusement _"Yeah I can imagine. 200 girls not enough bathrooms. Not pretty."  
_ "Exactly."

The two laugh enjoying just getting to speak together. Dawn had been gone for almost three months now and it had been difficult for Buffy.  
"So how's the internship?" Buffy asks after a moment.

 _"_ _It's good."_ Her sister says strangely before sighing _"Buffy, Willow told me that something's up with you. That's why I called. Come on spill."_

Buffy groans in frustration and lays back down on the ground letting her hair splay on the ground around her as she looks up at the night sky.

"I just...something just doesn't feel right. I've been training other Slayers since last year to fight...but I just...I thought that I would get to finally have a life, but I'm still here, training, fighting."

Dawn sighs over the phone, she felt bad for her sister, she had given up so much and last year had been one of the worst years of her life, yet she hadn't even taken a moment to herself, she had gone straight back to the fight.

 _"_ _Buffy...you need to stop doing this. It's making you into a hollow shell. That's not my sister. My sister is vibrant and kind and wants to help people. And my sister deserves to actually have what she wants for once in her life. So Buffy let me ask you a question, what do you want to do with your life?"_

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Willow's eyes widen in shock as she listens to Giles as he fills her in on the information he had discovered about the connection between Wolfram and Hart and the Triad.  
"Wait, hold on. You're saying that China used to work directly for the heads of Wolfram and Hart?" She asks still in shock.

 _"_ _Yes."_ Giles confirms _"I spoke to some of my old demon contacts and they confirmed China White was in a very high position at the Hong Kong office. She left in 2008 got into some trouble with ARGUS only to return to Hong Kong 2 years later."_ Giles pauses for a moment, and Willow can easily tell that he was turning the pages of the files of research before cleaning his glasses, after a moment Giles clears his throat before continuing _"I couldn't find out what exactly her plan is now, but I believe that she is the reason for the team up between the two organizations. I believe that Wolfram and Hart are funding a project of hers, in exchange she helps hide the demons."_

Willow listens intently as she writes down everything that Giles was telling her, she was trying to avoid putting everything on electronic devices, just in case, someone managed to get by her firewalls, no matter how unrealistic the idea was she couldn't help but be cautious.  
"What's the project?" She asks curiously, whatever it was it must be important for her to get funding from Wolfram and Hart.

 _"_ _I'm afraid I'm not sure. I haven't been able to find any information yet. But I will let you know once I do."  
_ Willow smiles only to freeze as she spots someone entering her office, glancing away from her computer screen she spots Oliver Queen standing at her doorway.

Willow gives him a wave before adjusting the phone by her ear "Thanks so much Giles. I'll let Buffy know."

She quickly hangs up the phone before turning to Oliver "And here I was thinking that my days of being Oliver Queen's personal computer geek were coming to an end."

Oliver who had been looking at the photo's on Willow's desk turns to her "Is that your way of saying you miss me?"  
"No, that's me saying I'm bored." She jokes before swinging around in her seat to face him, as she does she catches him looking at the photo of her Buffy, Dawn and Tara.

"Getting a good stare in there huh, Queeny?" She asks making him snap his attention back to her.  
"Queeny?" He asks slightly amused "I take it Buffy's been speaking about me?"

Willow chuckles enjoying this slightly, his interest in Buffy was quite obvious even if he himself didn't realize it "If you mean complain then yes. So what story do you have for me today?"

Oliver chuckles before nodding "So a friend of mine is running a scavenger hunt, and these's a case of Lafite Rothschild 1982 waiting at the end. But in order to find it, I first need to get through this." He says as he hands her a small hard drive.  
Willow arches a brow before taking the hard drive off him and looking at it intently "Hmm. Security fob." She mumbles before plugging it into her computer.  
Turning to one of the screens she watches as a link for Blackhawk comes up, she frowns before looking at Oliver "Blackhawk? Why do I recognize that?"  
"It's a security agency." Oliver answers as he circles her desk to stand behind her so he can look at the screens.

Willow frowns for a second before it hits her, that was the same company that had tried to recruit Buffy when she first got out of the military. With a shrug she turns her focus back to the screen "It's PIN protected. This is a military grade cryptographic security protocol." She says slightly impressed as she tries to hack her way inside "Your friend really must be into this game if he went to all this trouble." She says skeptically as she turns to Oliver.

"The idle rich are hard to entertain. Listen, you get through it and one of those bottles of wine is yours."  
Willow shakes her head "You're gonna have to do better than that."  
Oliver sighs before smirking "I know several available young woman in town who might be willing to experiment."  
Willow grins at that, it had been a while and her last date with that girl Claire had been painfully dull, "Speaking to a girl's heart there, Queen."

* * *

Buffy places her leg on the pommel horse in the training room as she stretches. Reaching across her body she wraps her hands around her ankle and leans forward for a moment before leaning back up and lowering her leg to the ground.

"So why do you hate this Knox guy?" Xander asks as he walks into the training room still in his work clothes, holding a large file in his hands.

"His a misogynist asshole." Buffy says simply as she turns to him her hands on her hips "What's that?" She asks gesturing to the file in his arms as she grabs the twin sai off the table and begins twirling them in her hands.  
Xander places the file on the table in front of her as she continues to twirl the deadly weapons in her palms easily "Willow sent it over, it's everything Giles sent over on Wolfram and Hart and the connection with China White and The Triad."

Buffy does a back flip into a triple tuck before landing on her feet gracefully "Cool." She breaths out as she walks over to the salamander ladder in the corner of the room.  
"When did we get this?" She asks frowning, she didn't own one of these, and it wasn't here last time she was in training room.

"Last week. Will must have ordered it." Xander says offhandedly as he flips through files on his phone "Damn I got to go. Moira wants me to meet with some guy from Merlyn Global, something about the tech department. I'm just glad I don't have to meet the man himself."

Buffy sighs before watching her roommate leave the room, again she was alone, with a shrug she looks over at the file before grabbing the metal pole next to her and jumping up onto the first level of the ladder.

* * *

Oliver was heading down to the Foundry when his phone started ringing "What did you get?" He asks knowing it would be Willow.  
 _"_ _I think you friend's bodyguard gave him the wrong security fob."  
_ Oliver pauses in his steps and frowns in confusion "Why's that?"  
 _"Well, once I got past Black Hawk's authentication system, there wasn't anything about a scavenger hunt, just a directory. Well, I think you've stumbled onto or gotten me to stumble onto something pretty illegal."  
_ Oliver frowns even more now "Define illegal."  
 _"_ _Oh you know, robbing an armored car with grenade launchers and tear gas."_

* * *

Buffy glances at her back in the mirror looking at the range of scars on her back, she glances at the tattoo on her arm before turning to look at few scars on her stomach. The one where she was stabbed with her own stake, as well as the one where she was run through with a sword were next to each other. The worse one on her stomach was the bullet wound right above her left lung and the burn mark. She groans as she remembers the hot poker pressing against her skin that day.

With a sigh she pulls on her sweat pants before grabbing her vest off the edge of the bath. Grabbing a towel she runs her hair through it as she heads out of the bathroom.

 _"_ _The fourth attempted armored robbery was faltered by The Hood however the robbers are still at large..."_ Buffy hears the TV news reporter saying only for all the lights in her apartment to suddenly switch off.

Buffy frowns before reaching for the light switch only to groan in annoyance as it doesn't work, she looks around the room her TV had been switched off as well. She was left in complete darkness.

Grabbing the twin sais from underneath the nearby table she drops the towel and twirls them in her palms "You know, I don't appreciate people breaking into my apartment. Slightly creepy if you ask me."

Suddenly Buffy hears the ground creak behind her, swinging her leg out she attempts to attack the person who had broken in only for the man to grab her leg.

"I'm not going to hurt you." A gruff voice says making Buffy rolls her eyes "Wish I could say the same." She hisses before forcing her leg out of his grasp and swinging her arm at him, he catches her wrists and twists her body forcing her up against the wall.

Buffy groans before lifting her leg up backwards kicking his knee knocking him down. Buffy turns to face him and steps on his knee forcing herself up before wrapping a leg around his neck and rolling across the floor tossing his body on the other end of the room.

Buffy stands and freezes as he notices the man she had been tossing around the room now had an arrow aimed at her, she scoffs in amusement "The Hood."

Oliver glances at the blonde before frowning at the twin sai in her hands "I thought ex-military keep guns in the house. Not medieval weapons."  
"I don't like guns." She says simply before gesturing to the bow and arrow in his hands "Much like yourself."

Oliver smiles slightly but keeps his focus down refusing to let her see his face "I just wanna talk. I'm not going to hurt you."  
Buffy chuckles in amusement before lowering the sais "Clearly. Two reasons, one: I just kicked your ass. And two: Diggle would kill you."  
Slowly Oliver lowers the bow and raises his hands in defence before placing the bow on the ground "I need your help." He says, his voice masked with the modifier.

Buffy tilts her head in interest before glancing at him curiously, however, she knew what this was about "Gaynor is a good man." She tells him "I took a bullet for him, there are very few people I would do that for."  
"Like Diggle?" Oliver asks.

"Of course." Buffy says softly, wondering where he would go with this "Already did."  
The Hood nods and steps closer to her while she remains stationary, she was observing him, watching him closely, watching his body language, looking for any sign of a threat.  
"Blackhawk. Gaynor's organization, someone there was using their system to find the route and schedules for each of the city's seven major armored car carriers. Including the three that have already been hit, as well as the one I stopped."

Buffy's eyes widen in shock but she shakes her head, she couldn't believe it, that wasn't the man she knew, Gaynor wouldn't ally himself with people like that. "I have proof." The Hood tells her as he slides a hard drive along the floor towards her feet.  
Buffy glances down at the hard drive before looking back up at him "Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because I need your help. Diggle won't listen to me about Gaynor. You're the only person I know that he would listen to."

Oliver watches the young woman carefully as she contemplates what to do, slowly she reaches down and grabs the hard drive "Paul Knox." She whispers making his attention snap to her face "What?"

Buffy sighs before running a hand through her long blonde hair "Paul Knox. He works for Blackhawk...he's a slim ball me and Dig met him in Afghanistan. If something is going down with Blackhawk I'd bet my life that Paul is involved and Diggle wouldn't doubt it."  
Oliver nods gratefully to the blonde before picking up his bow "Thank you."  
"Your welcome. Now next time knock this isn't a library where you can just walk in and out."

* * *

At Thea's birthday party Oliver and Diggle move into the corner to discuss the car heist "Gaynor wasn't running the rocket launcher." Oliver admits to Diggle.

Diggle nods "I know. I was with him the whole time it was going down."  
Oliver clenches his jaw "Looks like you were right."

Diggle sighs before glancing around the party cautiously "Listen if someone at Black hawk is involved I put my money on Knox."  
Oliver's head shoots up, Buffy was right "Paul Knox."  
Diggle immediately frowns, the fact that Oliver knew that was worrying "How did you..."  
Oliver hesitates he knew Diggle was going to beyond pissed that he went to Buffy, and basically broke into her apartment, when he opens his mouth and no sound comes out that silence answers Diggle's question.

Diggle's eyes glaze over furiously "You went to Buffy as The Hood?!" He hisses in a hushed tone "Oliver, what the hell!?"  
"If it helps she is a tough one." When Diggle gives him an unamused glare he sighs "Look I needed help and you wouldn't believe me. She gave me a name that's it. Then lectured me about breaking and entering."

Diggle sighs in frustration and annoyance and runs a hand over his face, he was beyond pissed right now, but it didn't matter he could still be pissed tomorrow they needed to confirm if all this was true now.  
"I injured one of the men." Oliver tells him "He was bleeding pretty badly."

Diggle nods and tries to focus "So if any of Knox's blood is in one of the motor pool vans, we'll know for sure."  
Diggle moves to head for the exit only for Oliver to make him pause "I'm going with you."

"No, no, no, no. Listen..." Diggle says putting his foot down, and glaring at Oliver "You have this party and I told you I would handle this. If there's any problems you're just a phone call away." He says not once noticing the bug Oliver had placed on his jacket.

* * *

"I'm here now." Buffy tells Diggle as they speak over the phone. She pushes open the door at Big Belly and waves a Carly before making her way to the bar _"Thanks, Buffy. Look if anything happens just keep Carly safe, please. And yourself. I don't trust Knox."_ Buffy sighs sadly she was worried about her friend "I promise Dig. Be careful." She warns before hanging up the phone and heading over to Carly.  
"Hey, pretty lady." Carly says as she walks back out of the kitchen with a broom in hand.

Buffy arches a brow as Carly hands out the broom towards her, she couldn't be serious "No." She says with a shake of her head.  
"I need the help. If we wanna be able to catch this movie then you're gonna have to help."

When Carly gives her a serious look Buffy groans, there was seriously no saying no to this woman "Fine." She huffs before taking the broom.  
As Carly cleans the countertops and the tables Buffy cleans the floors, and as much as she would deny it, it actually felt nice to be doing something like this. It felt so normal.

"So..." Carly says slyly a massive grin forming on her face "I heard that you've been seeing a very attractive doctor."  
Buffy chuckles in amusement, Diggle must have told her after he caught her and Dean making out and was scared for life "His name is Dean."

Carly smirks before moving to sit on the counter "And how long has this been going on...and why have I not heard about it before now?"  
"Almost two months... Buffy freezes as she notices Carly about to go into lecture mode "And before you start it's good. I like him. His obsession with his car not so much."  
Carly laughs and is about to ask for more details only for a shatter of glass to make her pause.

Buffy freezes as she feels something sharp pierce her skin. She blinks slightly and reaches for neck before pulling a piece of plastic out of her neck.  
"No." She breaths as she spots the needle, her eyes zoom up to Carly "Carly we have to go now!" She exclaims as she reaches into her bag and grabs a large knife before grabbing her gun from her back pocket. She may not like guns doesn't mean she didn't know how to use one.  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"

At that moment six men kick down the entrance door before storming in "Carly run!"  
"What about you?"  
Buffy turns and pushes Carly towards the back exit "I'll follow you. Go to my car now!"

"Knox." Buffy hisses as he and three other men approach her.  
Knox looks at her curiously "That should have taken down a man twice your size." He says as he gestures to the needle in her hand.

"Well guess I'm more of a man than you." She smirks before raising her gun, she shoots one of the other men as he approach her, however then one of them tackles her to the ground, she loses her grip on her weapons and struggles as the man climbs on top of her, however she places her feet on his chest and forces him off her sending him flying backwards crashing through one of the windows.

Knox stares in shock for a moment before turning to his other men "Give her another load. Enough for an elephant." He hisses as he approaches the blonde.  
Buffy ducks under a blow from Knox and grabs the back of his arm before kicking him in the face she then twists his arm behind his back and launches him into a nearby wall.

Buffy turns to the other three men approaching her, grabbing her blade off the ground, she grabs the first man and shoves him up against the wall, jabbing him in the throat she then covers his mouth and stabs him through the throat with her blade.

As he drops to the ground the other two men grab her, one takes the chance to inject Buffy in the back with a large needle. Buffy groans as she feels the sedative spread through her veins. She groans before shaking her head she flips in the men's arms and then throws them both away.

Rolling across the ground she grabs her gun and shoots the one approaching her twice in the stomach before shooting him in the head.

As the blood splatters on the wall she stands, running at the other man, she grabs his gun from him and elbows him in the stomach before flipping him over her shoulder. She then kicks him across the room causing him to fly out of the window and into the street where he is then run over by a truck.

Buffy tilts her head before reloading her gun and turning to Knox, Knox swings his leg up at her but she merely blocks the blow she grabs his ankle and spins around lifting him off the ground and tossing him through the wall.

Buffy steps through the hole he had made in the wall and clocks her gun "Where is Diggle?" She asks swaying slightly as the sedative starts to take over, however, suddenly her vision starts to blur and the next thing she knew a large object was hitting her in the stomach sending her crashing to the ground. Buffy screams as she feels a bullet hit her left thigh. She groans in pain before looking up as Knox approaches her "You killed five of my men. I must say I'm impressed."  
Buffy glares at him before kicking him where it hurts most causing him to cry out and clutch his groyne.

Buffy grins before kicking him in the face, screaming as the bullet moves in her leg, she flips herself back up before grabbing Knox by the throat and tossing him away from her.

As she moves to head for the door she feels another needle hit her in the back causing her to lose the feeling in her legs, she drops the ground but forces herself to stay awake. As she tries to move towards the door she vaguely hears Carly scream her name before another figure moves in front of her, he kicks her in the face leaving her in darkness.

* * *

Diggle stares at the car in shock for a moment before hearing a gun being clocked behind him "Had a feeling you'd show up." A voice says from behind him.

Diggle raises his hands above his head before turning to the voice "Why is that, Knox?" He arches a brow as he spots the broken nose as well as the limp and the cuts across his face.  
"Right after Gaynor got you hired..." Knox says "...someone hacked our system, first person to ever make it through our firewall. Want to tell me how you did it?"  
Diggle lowers his arms and shrugs "Not really sure." He says honestly.  
"He didn't think you'd be very cooperative. He didn't think Summers would be either."  
Diggle frowns in confusion and worries for a moment "Who?"

As Knox pins, his arms behind his back Diggle freezes as he spots Gaynor coming towards him "Hello John."  
Diggle stands there for several seconds shocked and disappointed, he couldn't believe it, he had defended this man "Ted, you're part of this?"  
"No, not part of." Ted says carefully as he approaches Diggle "My men, my mission."

"Mission?" Diggle asks appalled "This isn't Afghanistan."  
"Oh, don't I know that. Over there, we were trusted with millions of dollars in weapons and personnel. We were conquerors. Now we're nannies with tasers."

Dig scoffs in disbelief, he couldn't believe this man who had taught him so much about honour had sunk this low "So that gives you the right to steal, to kill innocent civilians?"

Ted shakes his head, "I'm not going to convince you I'm right. I am going to convince you to join the team. And to get Summers to as well."  
"Now I know you're crazy."

Ted merely tilts his head and continues "Earlier tonight was supposed to be our last score but because of The Hood guy, we struck out. Plus it doesn't help that Summers killed five of my men. We're down, 6 men. Considering she took down 5 she takes their place, and you take the last place. Good thing you're qualified and she's a freak."

Diggle freezes at the mention of Buffy killing five of his men. That could only mean that they had gone after Buffy and Carly "Where are they?" He hisses furiously, Knox having to hold him back from killing Ted with his bare hands.  
"They are here to convince you." Ted says before reaching for his wrists "Cavanaugh." He calls.

At that moment the backdrop opens and four men enter the room one forcing Carly across the room while the other three drag Buffy in chains across the floor, leaving a blood trail from her still bleeding leg.  
"Carly, Buffy." Diggle breaths before glaring at Ted "You son of a bitch." He hisses.

"Dig." Buffy breaths from the ground "I'm sorry."  
Diggle glances at his best friend his anger fuelling as he spots the bullet wound in her leg.

"Had to dose her with something that would take down 3 elephants. Tough bitch isn't she, John?" Ted says with a smirk before turning to Knox "Wrap up her leg she's coming with us."

"Buffy!" Carly mumbles through the gag in her mouth as Knox grabs Buffy and drags her across the ground, a gun aimed at her head.

Buffy struggles and swings her leg out knocking Knox onto the ground, she snatches his gun and aims it at his head only to freeze as she spots the other guard raise a gun at Carly's head.

Buffy growls before snapping the gun in two and tossing it away, she tries to stand only to wobble so Diggle quickly catches her allowing her to lean against him.  
"I'm gonna kill you." She hisses as she glares at Ted.  
"If you do then she dies." He says gesturing to Carly, before turning to look at Buffy "And you well... that bullet hit an artery you'll bleed out the longer this takes. So let me put it this way you can both die tonight, or once we do this, we're on a plane, you...my dear sweet Buffy won't bleed to death and she..." He says gesturing to Carly "Can go home to your nephew. It's your call."

* * *

Buffy watches from the car as Diggle stands in front of the van with the launcher, Carly who was currently holding pressure against her wound looks at her with a worried tone "Buffy, you're going really pale."  
"It doesn't matter." Buffy says softly as she keeps her eyes on Dig "I'll be fine."

"Won't be so sure about that." Ted says just as Diggle moves out of the way of the van allowing it by.  
He yanks Buffy's arm and drags her out of the car while Knox grabs Carly.

"You shouldn't have done that, Dig." Ted hisses as he raises a blade towards Buffy throat.  
"Rot in hell." Buffy hisses to Ted.

"Now you've got to watch us kill your pretty little girlfriend." Knox says.  
Ted presses the blade harder against Buffy's neck drawing blood while she reaches for the blade on his thigh.

Diggle notices Buffy moving for the knife and tries to keep the other man distracted "You're forgetting one thing, guys."  
"Oh yeah?" Ted asks "What's that?"

Diggle grins "I'm the one with the grenade launcher. Buffy now!" As he raises the grenade launcher Buffy grabs the knife and stabs Ted in the stomach before spinning around and kicking him in the chest.

She runs as Diggle fires the weapon and tackles Carly to the ground rolling them so they are behind the van.  
"Run!" Buffy yells to Carly.

Carly hesitates but runs as she does Buffy grits her teeth and forced herself to stand, just as Ted rounds the corner Buffy kicks her leg out knocking him to the ground. However, he grabs her wounded leg and forces his fingers into the bullet wound causing her to scream out.

As she topples against the car he takes off running after to Carly.

"Buffy!" Diggle exclaims as he runs over to her and pushes the hair out of her face "I'm fine." She assures him "Go! I'll deal with Knox, go!"

After a moment of hesitation, he runs off while Buffy twirls the knife she had stabbed Ted with in her hands before moving around the car where Knox currently had a gun aimed at Diggle as he ran.

Buffy launches the knife at him causing him to drop the gun as the knife buries itself in his wrist.  
She groans in pain before forcing herself to run at him just as he pulls out two large blades.

Buffy blocks his arms as he swings one of the blades at her, she jabs his elbow causing him to drop the blade as he swings his other arm at her she ducks under his arm catching the first blade in her palm.

She swings her leg out at him but he grabs her ankle and twists it, she screams in pain but allows her body to flip through the air, kicking him in the face with her other leg as she places a hand on the ground so that she ends up doing a cartwheel.

Suddenly an arrow flies at Knox hitting his other wrist causing him to from the other knife. Buffy rips the arrow from his wrists and drives it into neck before leaping up, she wraps her good leg around his neck and twists her body around him so she's resting on his shoulders, she wraps her good leg tighter around his neck cutting off his circulation causing him to drop to the ground.

Just as she hears footsteps approaching Knox manages to grab one of the blades off the ground and drives it into her bad leg causing her to cry out, however, she doesn't release him, she merely tightens her grasp on him before finally twisting violently till she hears Knox's neck snap.

"Buffy!" A voice yells from behind her as she detangles herself from Knox and grabs her heavily bleeding leg.

Just as she clutches the knife prepared to yank it out of the already injured leg a man crouches in front of her.

"Hold still." A gruff voice says. Buffy looks up only to chuckle as she spots The Hood crouched in front of her "Two visits in one day what a pleasure. I feel like the Queen. Plus you got to see me kill. Welcome to the dark side we have cookies."

Buffy freezes as he moves to help her and tries to push him away "Go help Dig, now, he won't be able to kill Ted. He can't."

Oliver frowns at the sight of the young woman, she had a bullet wound and a stab wound to the same leg yet but yet instead of worrying about bleeding to death she was worried about Diggle's conscious.  
"You'll die." He hisses before ripping of the fabric at the end of her jeans, he yanks out the blade from her leg and quickly wraps up the wound, before lifting the blonde woman into his arms.

"I'm gonna slow you down." She hisses but he ignores her and moves after Dig "You owe me new jeans."

* * *

Just as Ted raises his gun John freezes, this was a man who had saved his life yet now he was going to be the one that ended it. How the hell did that happen?

Suddenly an arrow buries itself in Ted's chest, Diggle stands there frozen watching as Ted's body fell to the ground.

When he hears Oliver approaching him he sighs as he looks down at his old friend "You're late."

"That may be my fault." A voice says making Diggle turn to face only to freeze as he spots Buffy leant against him trying to stand "Knox stabbed me again."

"Tell me you killed the son of a bitch." He says as he wraps his arms around the small blonde "Hell yeah." Buffy mumbles.

* * *

"I'm fine." Buffy says as John helps her up the stairs back to her apartment.

Diggle looks at her sceptically before rolling her eyes "I don't care about this extra healing thing you have you got shot and stabbed...again. Protecting me...again."

Buffy chuckles in amusement, she understood the irony of it, almost every time she got shot it was because she pushed him out of the way "It's what I do." She breathes out a heavy chuckle as he pushes the front door open only to immediately be bombarded by Willow and her panicking.

As Willow and Diggle help place her on the couch Buffy turns to John "John, Willow can sew me up...go check on Carly."  
Diggle hesitates "Buffy, this was my fault..."  
"No." She insists "It's not. Don't blame yourself for the fact that a douche bag shot me. He's dead. I've been worse than this...but Carly she hasn't."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

Buffy paces in her room like she had been since her talk with Dawn the other day, she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. And what scared her was that a part of her knew what she wanted, she had looked into it before Sunnydale was destroyed, not much but a bit. It had just been an idea but now it could be a reality.

"Hey." Willow says as she pops her head into the room, "You okay?"

Buffy freezes and turns to her best friend "Actually I need to talk to you about something."

Willow frowns in confusion before moving into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed watching as the blonde continued to pace around the room like a crazy cat lady "Buffy, what is it?"

"Dawn." Buffy says simply as she stops pacing and crouches down in front of Willow "She asked me what I wanted with my life...and I realised that it isn't this. I don't want to be a general I don't want to lead an army. I've been there and done that." Willow frowns in confusion this all seemed to be coming out of nowhere, they had been here for three months now and Buffy hadn't said a thing. As she thinks it it's then she realises that even though Buffy hadn't said anything, she had been different she was less talkative, she avoided the girls and spent most her time alone on that roof or reading in the library.

Buffy runs her hands through her hair nervously before turning back to Willow "I wanna help people...but not like this. Not by killing... have enough blood on my hands. I want to help people."

Willow frowns "Buffy, what are you talking about?"

"Before Sunnydale when I was reapplying for school I applied for the Paramedic Program. I didn't get it because it was too late in the semester."

Willow's eyes widen in shock, she had had no idea "Wait, you wanna be a paramedic?"

"I don't know." Buffy says honestly "But I liked the idea of helping people without all the fighting. I applied to a Paramedic Program in Boston a few days ago."

Willow who was still stunned, stares at her best friend, Buffy wanted to leave, she wanted to go have a life, she shouldn't be shocked but the idea of not being around her best friend every day upset her "And?" Was all she could muster up to ask.

"I got in."


	12. Vertigo

Buffy flips through the air before landing in a crouch on her knees on the fire escape, she flips her head back allowing her wet hair to fly out of her face. Ignoring the rain that was falling around her she grabs onto a metal chain opposite her and swings to the other side of the street.  
The second her feet land on the ground she takes off in a sprint the way her target had run off.

She grins as she spots him running towards the docks, twisting the scythe in her grasp she launches it in his direction.

Gordon freezes as the axe type weapon lands right next to his head, he gasps before quickly turning to move in the other direction only to find himself knocked to the ground as Buffy grabs onto a metal pole and swings her body around it, her feet landing firmly on his chest.  
Buffy smirks as she lowers herself from the pole before approaching Gordon ripping the scythe from the wall as she does.

"You slipped out of my hands once. You won't do it again." She warns as she places her heeled boot on his ankle and begins forcing the heel into his ankle making him scream.  
"Shh." Buffy hisses before removing her heel and grabbing his chin forcing him off the ground, she holds him up making him hover above the ground "You see since you got away I had a chance to do a little more digging on you. You may be a big guy in your old form but you were still nothing more than a lower bottom feeder who made others do his work."

She tightens her grasp on his chin listening as his jaw begins crushing painfully, before, tossing him into a nearby wall so hard that she actually hears his skull as it shatters.  
"But one other thing I learned is that you pick up dirt about others. So what's the project The Triad and Wolfram and Hart are working on?"  
Gordon glares up at her, in that moment Buffy groans, the demons were getting more stubborn. It probably didn't help that she was killing them off but still is was infuriating and a pain in her ass.  
Grabbing him she yanks him off his feet before forcing him up against the wall again "If you don't tell me than it's not going to end well for you."  
"Rot in yell Slayer bitch."  
Buffy tilts her head for a moment before grabbing his face and slamming his head against the concrete wall so hard that the back of his skull shatters and blood splatters on her face "Been there done that."

* * *

At the same time on the other side of town Oliver watches his next target hang by his sleeve ten feet in the air, held by nothing more than one of his arrows.  
"Come on, man!" His victim screams "I'm just trying to make an honest living!"  
"There's nothing honest about what you do! Who supplies you with Vertigo? Tell me know and you live."  
A look of fear covers the other man's face "Please!" He begs "He'll kill me."  
"Whoever you fear, fear me more!"

As Oliver grabs another arrow and aims it at his target the man in question panics, he didn't want to die even though it was inevitable "Ok!" He exclaims, gasping loudly as he speaks "They call him The Count. That's all I know! I swear to God!"

* * *

"You ripped your stitches." Xander says worriedly as Buffy pulls off her suit behind the curtain.  
As she wraps a robe around herself she steps out from behind the curtain and shrugs at Xander "Yep." She says popping the 'p' before wiping the blood from her face with a towel.

Xander groans, he was worried about her, the bullet and stab wound was still healing and her immediate attempts to get back to the fight were only causing the healing process to take longer.  
"Look, Buff, I know you are determined to find out about this big project but you've got to slow down."

Buffy sighs before running a hand through her hair, she knew he was right but she didn't have a choice, there were so many names on this list, so many people out there trying to kill them and because of that she didn't have time to be injured, she'd just have to keep going.  
"I don't have a choice Xand, it's just us. If we stop we risk everything. You know that."

Xander sighs, he hated this, he hated that they were right back to where they were when they were 16. Buffy was the one and only and it was just the three of them against the world, there were no other Slayers around to help, it was just them against an army.  
Throwing his arm other her shoulder he kisses the top of her head before pulling her towards the kitchen "Let's get you back up and going then old Buffster."  
Buffy pouts at the phrase "I'm not old."  
"You sure?" Xander asks with a quirk of an eyebrow before grabbing a piece of her hair "I could have sworn I saw a grey hair."

Immediately the blonde's eyes widen, she pushes him away and runs over to the mirror examining her hair for grays and her face for wrinkles, meanwhile Xander merely laughs only for her to glare at him "Says the guy with Mr. Fantastic hair."  
Xander's grin falls "I'm making it work." He insists while inadvertently reaching up to play with his hair.

* * *

"Find what you're looking for?" Diggle asks as Oliver as he walks back into the Foundry still in his suit.

Oliver nods before making his way past Diggle over to the desk where all his arrows were lined up "I found three vertigo pushers tonight, Diggle. Last one finally knew a name. The Count." He says before placing down his bow and moving over to the computer, as he does Diggle arches a brow "The Count? That's worse than The Hood." He freezes for a second as he realizes that although Oliver had put down his bow he was still yet to change out of his gear "You're not going out there again?"

"I'm not done for the night." Oliver says confirming Diggle's theory before turning to face the bodyguard "Whoever this Count is, he has a lot of blood on his hands and it is long past time he started paying."

* * *

Xander yawns before grabbing his mug of coffee off his desk, to say he had had a bad nights sleep was an understatement. With Buffy wondering back into the apartment at 3 am after taking down Gordon and then sewing her back up that had already disrupted his sleep.  
Not only that but, Giles seemed to have forgotten about a little thing called time differences plus he had also forgotten when to just shut up. He had literally yammered on and on about Wolfram and Hart until Xander had finally turned around and told him that he had to go to work.

He groans as he glances at the clock, it was almost 9 and he had meetings all day "Stupid Thea." He mumbles, because of her court date he was being left as acting CEO for the day, meaning that he had to take all of Moira's meetings. Which for one he had no idea who's dumb idea it was to put him in charge.  
"Mr. Harris." His assistant Courtney says as she pokes her head into his office making him turn to face her instead of just falling asleep in his chair as he had planned "Yeah."  
"A Mr. Merlyn is here to see you."

Xander frowns in confusion, he knew who Merlyn was but he had not had any contact with him, not even regarding either companies, Moira or Walter were always the ones to deal with him.  
He nods at the young woman "Send him in."  
Xander stands from his seat and quickly downs the rest of his coffee before tapping down the crinkles in his suit.

"Ah, Mr. Harris, finally we meet." The older dark haired man says as he strolls into the room comfortably, he shakes Xander's hand before walking straight past him and examining the room.  
Xander stands there for a second stunned, before shaking himself and moving towards Malcolm "What can I do for you Mr Merlyn? Moira won't be back till after the court meeting."  
"I'm aware." Malcolm says bluntly before moving towards Xander's desk and moving things around.

As Merlyn moves around the desk he pauses of the photo there. The photo showed Harris with a red headed woman and a blonde. A blonde with a very familiar face. Al-Qa-Til.  
Merlyn wanted to laugh, he had found her weakness right there in that photo, or more accurately her two weaknesses. He smirks before turning to Xander, his grin expanding, he had her now, if The Slayer got in his way again he would take away her only weaknesses.

"I actually have been meaning to meet the face of The Watcher's Council." Merlyn says offhandedly as he moves away from the desk and approaches Xander again who was watching him suspiciously.  
"So how about you and I discuss this new tech development our companies have been working on together?" Merlyn suggests before holding out his hand towards Xander once more.  
Xander stares at Merlyn's hand sceptically, there was something off about this man, years on the Hellmouth surrounded by demons had made him more cautious and more acute to suspicious behaviour. He clenches his jaw before offering Merlyn a small smile "Of course." He says before shaking the man's hand.

As the two head towards the door, Merlyn makes one more comment that makes Xander almost punch him right there and then "So what's with the eyepatch?"

* * *

"Seriously?" Buffy says to Stewart before rolling her eyes at him and refocusing on the young girl currently shaking in front of her, crying.  
"What? I'm just saying running into smoke-filled burning buildings..."  
Buffy cuts him off "Can be a disorienting fortunately I have the cure...stop doing it."  
Buffy turns back to the girl in question before turning her attention to the burn mark on her arm "You should really take my advice."

The girl stops crying and glares at both Buffy and Stewart "God will you just help me already. I'm in pain."  
Buffy groans, she hated dealing with the trust fund brats "You really are a ball of sunshine on a cloudy day." She says sarcastically before tapping the girl's burn making her cry out "You'll live." Buffy tells her.

Buffy stands and turns to Stewart "You deal with her. I'll take the kid." She says gesturing to the 10-year-old little boy who was sat in the corner holding his burnt hand.  
Stewart groans before nodding and moving to help the teenage girl who immediately starts complaining.

Buffy crouches down in front of the little boy and smiles "Hi." She says softly "Can I help you?" She asks gesturing to his burnt hand.  
The little boy stops crying and takes several deep breaths before nodding, with a shaky hand he raises his hand towards Buffy.  
As Buffy begins wrapping his hand in the antibacterial bandage she smiles at him "What's your name sweetie?"  
The little boy gasps and looks at her nervously "Greg."  
Buffy smiles "Hi Greg. I'm Buffy. I'm going to be your medic today."

The little boy smiles slightly "Buffy? That's a weird name." He says giggling slightly.  
Buffy chuckles before giving him an insulted look "Hey...that hurts." She says before smiling.  
When the little boy laughs only to wince in pain Buffy's eyes widen, she hated seeing people, especially kids in pain. She needed to distract him.  
"So cutie, tell me about yourself where do you go to school?"

The little boy sobs slightly before looking up at her with teary eyes "Starling Middle School." He says "Where did you go to school?"  
Buffy smiles at the young boy "Boston."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

"Boston?" Giles asks completely stunned, he was in shock, Buffy had just finished telling them about the school she had gotten into and he was just stunned. He had had no idea that she was unhappy here, yes she had said that she would leave, but he thought that she had adjusted and wanted to stay. He was wrong. Glancing around the table he looks at Xander who's face carried a very similar expression to his own, whereas Willow's face was blank.  
"You're moving to Boston?" Xander asks after a long moment of being unable to speak.

Buffy who was standing there awkwardly nods, she was about to speak when she sees that the office door was slightly open and several of the young Slayers were spying on them.  
Buffy sighs before glancing at Willow who nods and waves her hand at the door, as she does a red glow leaves her hand and closes the door.

After another moment Buffy runs a hand through her hair before running it along her jaw, she was trying to think of what to say but nothing was coming to her. Luckily for her Giles cuts her off "When are you leaving?"  
Buffy shifts in her chair before standing, she couldn't stop fidgeting, she needed to be moving. She paces across the room before glancing at three of the most important people in her life "Classes start in a week."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver wonders around the police station for a few moments before making his way into a nearby hall and approaching the office "I'm looking for Detective Hall. I was told he works in Vice."

"Oliver?" A voice asks sceptically from the other end of the hall, Oliver frowns and turns his head only to freeze as he spots a familiar face.  
"McKenna Hall." He breaths out before a small smile grazes his lips and he slowly begins to approach the woman who was still staring stunned.  
"Hi." She breaths out smiling brightly and in slight disbelief, she hadn't seen him since his return, it was so odd for her, seeing him after all this time.

Oliver smiles as he finally comes to stop in front of her "Here I was expecting a middle aged guy in a bad suit, and I got McKenna Hall."  
"I live to surprise."

* * *

"Make it stop!" The young man gasps out as his body continues to convulse violently, suddenly he screams out loudly before looking up at Buffy "Kill me, kill me!"  
Buffy's eyes widen as she looks down at the victim she had never seen anything like this before, he was shaking violently his eyes glazed over in fear while he screamed out in pain.  
Stewart glances over at Buffy in horror as they attempt to hold down the man so they could sedate him.  
Buffy groans trying to figure out what to do when Stewart begins to struggle she grabs the man's shoulder and forces him back down easily.

When Stewart stares at her questioningly she shrugs "I was a soldier." She tells him before gesturing to the ambulance "I'll go in the back with him. You drive."  
Stewart nods and quickly moves away to get the van ready, as he moves Buffy quickly grabs the screaming man and throws him over her shoulder before running over to the van and dumping him on the gurney.  
She was beginning to strap him down when Stewart finally appears, he freezes shocked and confused as to how this five foot five blonde could have lifted a man twice her size.

Buffy glares at him making it clear that he better get to work and now. When he gulps and runs back to the front of the car she groans before jumping into the van and closing the back doors.

As Stewart speeds through the streets Buffy continues to try and help their patient "What did you take?" Buffy asks as she grabs the morphine. When he doesn't answer her and merely begins to shake this time a white foam beginning to form around his mouth her eyes widen in a panic, they didn't have long.  
She grabs his arm and forces him to look at her "Whatever you took is clearly a deadly narcotic if you don't tell me what you took, you are going to die. I can't help you if you don't help me."  
The man yells out again before grabbing her hand and leaning up at her "V—vertigo. He—"  
Buffy frowns in confusion "He-who...who gave it to you?"  
The man shakes again, this time not due to the pain but rather the fear "I can't—he'll kill me."  
"If you don't help me here you're going to die either way." She says bluntly she didn't have time to play nurse and be sweet, this man was going to die unless she got all the information and quick.

"The Count." He gasps out before suddenly he begins clutching his chest, Buffy's eyes widen she quickly moves around him and checks his pulse.  
"Shit!" She exclaims "Stewart faster, his hearts giving out!"

As the ambulance surges forward Buffy looks around the ambulance before sighing, they didn't have the proper equipment to deal with this and she couldn't exactly recharge his heart if it gave out while they were moving.  
She grabs the patient and tilts him on his side before grabbing the gas and handing it to him "You need to breathe!" she orders before glancing out the window. They were approaching the hospital now.

Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief the patient slumps over, her eyes widen "No!" She gasps before turning back around.  
As the van stops she immediately grabs the deliberator and rips open the man's shirt before applying it to his chest.

As his body leaps up at the surge Buffy glances at the machine only to groan at the lake of response from his heart.  
Suddenly the back doors open and there, three doctors stand watching, she glances at them as she places the pads on the man's chest again "He was given a narcotic called Vertigo. Seems to attack the thalamus, there were no signs of physical injury. His heart gave out 25 seconds ago."  
The doctors nod and move to take the patient just as the line goes flat again.

Buffy groans in annoyance and frustration as she watches the patient be rolled into the ER. It was too late, whatever this drug had done to him it had caused his heart to just give up.

As Stewart heads inside to fill out the paperwork Buffy closes up the ambulance only to freeze as she hears someone call out her name "Miss Summers?"  
Buffy frowns before turning to face the voice, only to be faced with a beautiful young detective with long dark hair heading towards her.  
The blonde nods towards the detective "That's me. And whatever it was it wasn't me." She pauses "Wanna tell me what I did?"

The detective smiles at her warmly before holding out a hand towards her "I'm Detective McKenna Hall. I need to speak to you regarding the man you just brought in."  
Buffy frowns, she shakes the woman's hand before crossing her arms across her chest, she looks the woman up and down trying to get a read on her.  
"What do you want to know?" Buffy asks hesitantly.

Detective Hall pulls out a notepad before refocusing on the blonde "That man was one of the dealers for a well-known drug, called Vertigo. Did he tell you anything about his boss?"  
Buffy frowns for a second "Well when he wasn't screaming out in pain, he gave me a name, The Count."  
Hall frowns, they already knew this, they needed new information "Did he tell you anything about The Count's location."  
"No."

* * *

"Long time." The Russian says as he approaches Oliver and Diggle in the hidden Bravta warehouse "Particularly for Bravta captain."  
Oliver lets his face stay emotionless as he turns to the other man, a serious look on his face "I was trying to figure out where to put my interests. I decided on pharmaceuticals." He says before dumping two large rucksacks at the Russian's feet "I don't meet aspirin."  
The Russian smiles "A wise choice. Methadone would be a good investment for you. It's the newest thing."  
Oliver tilts his head, that wasn't what he wanted and the other man knew it "I was thinking Vertigo. Newer thing."  
"Tough market, Vertigo. Only one seller."

"I know I was hoping you could do me a favour and arrange a meeting."

* * *

Buffy glances around her apartment one last time making sure the coast was completely clear before sighing, she couldn't let Willow or Xander find out about her history with the League so she would just have to do her digging into The Dark Archer alone.  
She moves into her room and pulls the table cover off the desk in the corner, to reveal the safe underneath. Entering the combination she sighs as she opens it and her eyes fall on the objects of her past.

Ignoring the uniform and the small box she reaches to the back of the safe, where several large books lay.  
Blowing off the dust of the largest books she sighs "Al-zzi-lal." She whispers as she stares at the book.

Moving over to her bed she tucks her legs under her before placing the book on her lap and slowly opening it. She had to be careful with it due to the age of the book, when she had been given it she had been warned that it was several hundred years old so she had to be careful not to damage it.

As she turns the pages her hand runs over the list of names, several of which she recognised. She sighs before her attention is brought to the name The Magician.  
The book may not reveal his true identity, no written evidence was ever kept as far as she was aware but this was the best she had so she had to deal with it.  
Just as she is about to turn to the caption regarding the man in question the doorbell rings.

Buffy groans "Dammit!" She hisses as she glances at the clock, she was supposed to have a date with Dean. She quickly places the book back in the safe before heading to the door.

* * *

"Can't believe you just killed that guy." Diggle hisses as him and Oliver haul the body of the man the Russian had asked Oliver to kill to prove his loyalty to the Bravta.  
Oliver scoffs "You really have a low opinion of me." He says slightly annoyed.

As Diggle opens the car boot Oliver drops the man's body inside, he glances around the parking garage before placing his index finger under the man's chin. Suddenly the man sits up gasping loudly "Whoa!" Diggle exclaims impressed "That's a neat trick! You gonna teach me that one day?"  
Oliver smiles before punching the man in the boot in the face knocking him out. "No." He says as he turns back to Diggle before closing the boot.  
Diggle frowns in confusion, Oliver was up to something "What are you doing?"

"You need to arrange a new identity for this guy, get him out of the city."

* * *

"You tried to take them both!" Buffy asks astonished as she and Dean sit on the ground in the park drinking beer.  
Dean shrugs as he finishes telling her the story of his prom in high school "Well the first said maybe and by the time she said yes I had asked someone else."  
Buffy laughs loudly "Oh, my god you were one of those."  
Dean arches a brow before laughing "I wasn't that bad. Come on I'm sure you've got some stories."  
The blonde leans back on her elbows before smirking "I went to Sunnydale High, and I was the bottom of the food chain. The most memorable thing from my high school days is when the place blew up."  
Dean's eyes widen in shock before he bursts out in laughter "Now that is awesome."

Buffy shakes her head in amusement before taking another sip of her beer, as she does she doesn't notice Dean focus on the scar on her shoulder blade.  
"Where'd you get that?"  
Buffy pauses for a second "Got it when I was in Bulgaria, got into a...disagreement of sorts with a friend of mine ended with a knife buried in my shoulder."  
When Dean gives her a worried glance she rolls her eyes "He got the worse of it." After a long pause, she grins at him "What about you? Any scars?"

Dean chuckles before lifting his arm to show her the small scar on the inside of his forearm "First time my dad and I went hunting, the blade went through my arm. Five stitches."  
Buffy giggles before giving him big doe eyes "Five stitches? That's adorable."  
"I wasn't asking your opinion." He says rolling his eyes "But that's okay."

Buffy smirks before lifting her vest slightly to show the scar on her lower stomach "Bullet wound, hurt like a bitch."  
"Bitch, huh?" He asks teasingly before showing the mark on his neck, it looked like nail marks "Ex-girlfriend."  
Buffy laughs "Well whoever she was, you probably deserved it." She giggles before standing to make her way to his car to get another drink.

"You're hurting me, blondie." Dean mocks as he stands to follow her before frowning "Careful with my baby."  
Buffy rolls her eyes and leans against the hood of his car with her eyebrow raised "It's a car Dean." She says flatly.  
Dean glares at her before glancing at the car "Ignore her baby."  
Buffy can't help but laugh at that, he treated it like a woman. She shakes her head in amusement "How you ever get women in that thing is beyond me. Especially when you treat it better than your date."

Dean smirks before approaching her slowly making her look up at him "Really?" He asks grinning down at her.  
Buffy smirks before nodding "Oh yeah."  
Dean smiles before leaning down, he cups her cheek in his palm before kissing her.

Buffy kisses his back before wrapping her arms around his neck, as he hands travel down her back before settling on her hips tugging her closer as she tries to pull away from him "I should probably go—" She breaths before continuing to kiss him.  
"Probably." Dean breaths against her lips before lifting her up onto the hood of the car and laying her on her back.  
As he climbs on top of her the car alarm goes off making both of them laugh before Dean pulls her back into the kiss.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

"Good." Buffy says as she blocks one of the Slayer's Bo Staffs with her own before shoving the girl away "But not good enough."

As the girl drops on the ground another one of the girls attempts to attack Buffy but the blonde hears her coming, she ducks under the girls leg before dropping to her knees and kicking the girl's leg out from under her.  
Buffy stands and leans her chin on the edge of her Bo-staff as she looks down at the girls "Control. I have it...you don't." Buffy says firmly before helping both girls up and moving away from them.

"You can't lose control, emotions may fuel a Slayer but you need that control...or you'll die."  
Buffy raises her knee and brings the Bo Staff down on it snapping it in two before turning to the next two Slayers "Come at me."

The girls hesitate before running at Buffy, as they both swing the Bo-staffs at her Buffy raises her now batons and blocks them both, she drops to her knees and spins across the ground, hitting one of the girls in the stomach with a baton before placing her foot on the other's staff. Buffy forces the Bo-staff to the ground out of the Slayer's grasp before doing a cartwheel back up to standing, kicking both Slayer's in the face in the process.

As both girls fall to the ground Buffy grabs their Bo-staffs off the ground before tossing them at them "Again."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Oliver closes his eyes refusing to let emotions surface as he watches his mother and sister leave the room after the argument. He clenches his jaw before rolling his neck and opening his eyes.  
As he does his phone begins ringing, sighing he grabs the phone "Yeah?"  
 _"_ _Oliver."_ Diggle says firmly once the billionaire answers the phone _"The meeting is set for tonight."  
_ Oliver locks his jaw before glancing at his watch, however before he could say anything else Diggle cuts him off _"One more thing. The computer got an update from the hospital in the Glades. Another patient was brought in after using Vertigo. I think he was one of the dealers."  
_ Oliver frowns, this may be a chance to get any last information on the dealer before he met him "Who's his doctor?"

 _"_ _He died on route."_ Diggle tells him, Oliver waits as he listens to Diggle's fingers fly across the keys of the computer for a minute _"Okay, I'm sending over a file now. The paramedic who took him would have signed the paperwork."_

Oliver pulls the phone away from his ear and waits until finally his phone beeps once more. He quickly opens the file only to spot a familiar name. He scoffs for a moment before bringing the phone back to his ear "Get ready for tonight."

* * *

"Locked and loaded." Buffy tells Stewart as she taps the back of the van after their shift. As he drives the van off to where the rest were kept she heads inside. Groaning and rolling her neck she sighs, it had been a long day and all she wanted to do was go home and sleep and considering she didn't exactly get any last night, she was very close to passing out.

She quickly heads into the staff room and grabs her stuff out of the locker, she planned to get home as soon as possible in hopes of at least getting an hours kip before she had to hunt down the next demon on the list.  
She grabs her bag and slams her locker shut before heading towards the door. As she steps out of the staff room she pulls her hair out of the ponytail and runs her hands through her long golden locks for a minute before pulling on her leather jacket.

Just as she is about to reach the exit however a hard body crashes into her making her pause.  
Buffy groans in annoyance, and is all but prepared to start laying into the guy about looking where he was going, however she freezes as she spots the familiar face looking down at her "Oliver." She breaths out stunned.  
Oliver smiles down at the young woman "Buffy Summers. Just the person I was looking for."

Buffy sighs, she really wanted to sleep, she actually wondered for a second how much trouble she would get in if she knocked Oliver out just so that she could get home quicker.  
"What can I do for you?" She asks "And please say it's quick, cause I'm tired. Tired as in 95% chance I will fall asleep right here and now."  
Oliver chuckles in amusement before raising his hands in defense "Look I just wanna talk to you about something. Let me buy you a cup of coffee, I'll be quick."  
Buffy looks up at his blue eyes, before rolling her eyes and groaning "Fine. But not only coffee I want a muffin."  
Oliver nods in agreement before gesturing for her to lead the way to the diner.

* * *

"So how's your leg?" Oliver asks as he watches Buffy devour the blueberry muffin.  
Buffy pauses for a moment before arching a brow.  
Oliver panics "Diggle mentioned that you got hurt."  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement. She was so going to win this bet. After a moment of silence she offers him a small smile "I've had worse. Plus I heal fast, all part of the benefit package of being me."

Oliver smiles slightly, but there was something off about her, he had seen that leg wound, a bullet hit her artery and then a large hunting knife ripped through her thigh, the fact that she was alive and hadn't bleed out was a miracle on it's own but what was weird was the fact that she was back at work and moving around without any struggle.  
He shakes his head, trying to focus on the reason he came to see her; before he could get back to the topic at hand she beat him to the punch.  
"So why are you here Queeny?"  
Oliver smiles at the little nickname she seemed to have given him, in all honesty he much preferred it over Ollie.  
"Vertigo." He says firmly.

Buffy lowers her coffee mug and looks at him seriously "Is this about your sister, because I didn't treat her—"  
"I know." Oliver says quickly cutting her off "I've been looking into a man named The Count. He's the supplier. And I know you treated one of his dealers yesterday."  
Buffy pauses for a second, as she contemplates her options here, she knew that he wanted her to give him Intel but she didn't have any.  
"Look...Oliver, I'm not gonna tell you to not try and help your sister because trust me I have been in that position..." Oliver frowns Diggle never mentioned anything about Buffy having a sister.  
"...but..." She continues watching him with a serious gaze "...whoever this Count is...that dealer even though he was on death's door he was more terrified of The Count than the drug that was killing him."

* * *

After finally managing to get home and catch a few hours of sleep Buffy climbs up the drainpipe of the warehouse on outskirts of The Glades.

 _"_ _Okay Buffy."_ Willow says, it was a bit odd, normally Xander most of time did this from his office but after having to spend the day with Merlyn yesterday he had decided to go have several drinks which turned into one hell of a hangover.  
 _"_ _Her name is Charlene Porter. She's a Durthock demon..."_ When Willow takes a horrified gasps Buffy freezes "Will what's wrong?"  
 _"_ _She eats kids!"_ Willow exclaims _"Like her full name is Durthock the Child Eater how messed up is that! Oh my god she's a schoolteacher as well. This is just wrong on so many levels."  
_ Buffy groans in disgust and horror, a demon who eats children working at a school, yeah that had Wolfram and Hart written all over it.

As she reaches the roof she pulls herself up before making her way over to the skylight.  
"Where is satin's mistress then?" Buffy asks as she glances down into the warehouse.  
Buffy frowns when Willow doesn't answer "Wil?"  
 _"_ _Buffy!"_ Willow exclaims suddenly making Buffy's body go rigid _"I can't see anything, I think she's—"  
_ Suddenly the line goes dead making Buffy's eyes widen "Willow?!"

Just as she is about to move to go check on her friend something hard hits her in the back of the head causing her to stumble against the skylight.  
"I really don't like unwanted pests."  
"Ugh!" Buffy exclaims as she crashes painfully against the hard glass, when she hears cracks slowly start to build she quickly stands and moves off the skylight before approaching the red-headed woman opposite her before backing handing her across the face sending her flying across the roof.  
"Who's the pest now?"

* * *

Oliver clenches his jaw as him and Diggle watch The Count, surrounded by his guards, pull open the briefcase.  
Immediately Oliver's attention finds the green and black pills The Count was now holding in his palm. Vertigo.  
Keeping his cool he keeps eye contact with the Count as the man approaches him, grinning like a mad man "56 people died to perfect this high. Believe me when I say that they did not die for nothing."

Oliver holds back the anger sizzling just bellow the surface, this psychopath was responsible for his sister almost dying, and if that drug had killed 56 people just in development god knows what it could have done to Thea or others if they had more of it.

As The Count hands Oliver the briefcase a siren goes off and while the police cars move in on them The Count keeps his gaze on Oliver, as his guards lead them all out of the way of the incoming shots from the police.

* * *

"I'm really gonna enjoy kicking your ass." Buffy says as she approaches the red-head, she grabs her shoulders lifting her off the ground before tossing her to the other side of the roof.  
Slowly the red head stands "So here we are." Charlotte says with a grin "I've heard a lot about you. So come on this is a huge deal for me, I'm gonna get a real big prize for kicking every square inch of your ass."  
Buffy arches a brow before tilting her head, the red head had a crazy look in her eye, honestly it actually reminded her of when Willow went dark and they faced off in the magic box.

However things were different now, she was different. She was darker, she didn't fear death on either side, she had killed and had been killed this was no different.

"Show me what you got." Buffy hisses before approaching Charlotte who immediately takes a tight lock on her elbows pinning her tightly before head butting her twice and then kneeing her in the stomach.

As the demon moves to swing her arm at her Buffy raises her arm and blocks the blow before sending an upper cut to her jaw, as the woman curls in on herself Buffy swings her leg up kicking her in the jaw before once against swinging her fist out at the demon's jaw making her head swing to the side.  
Charlotte growls before shoving her arm against Buffy chest making the blonde fly to the ground, she recovers just quickly enough to stand and raise her arm blocking another blow.

However she leaves herself open so before she can even attempt to get the scythe from it's holder Charlotte kicks her in the gut making her stumble.

Buffy quickly ducks under Charlotte's arm as she swings another fist her way.  
She quickly straightens back up and leaps up swinging her leg towards Charlotte's head however the red head deflects the blow with a grunt.

Buffy groans before spinning around attempting to backhand the woman, only to miss her by a square inch. Buffy growls before swings her leg around again, the blow is blocked however Charlotte doesn't expect Buffy to repeat the move again straight afterwards causing Buffy's boot to make contact with her almost dislocated jaw.  
Buffy grins before spinning again and then supplying Charlotte with a powerful kick to the gut before she grabs Charlotte's arm and steps onto her knee before forcing her leg around Charlotte's shoulder.

As she drags the red head to the ground she throws her closer to the cracked skylight.

Charlotte growls as she stands and attempts to get to Buffy before she can stand however the blonde back flips out of the way kicking her in the face in the process causing her to stumble closer to the skylight.  
"Who's gonna have ever square inch of their ass kicked?" Buffy asks repeating the red-head's earlier taunt before pressing her foot on a nearby pipe and leaping up into the air before punching her in the face making her stumble once more and land right next to the skylight.

Buffy gives the red head a small wave before throwing herself into a spinning kick, kicking Charlotte square in the chest sending her crashing straight through the skylight and down 20 floors into the abandoned warehouse.

As Buffy glances down to spot the woman's bloody body on the concrete ground she sighs "Well that was just...boring."  
She turns on her heels and starts to head for the exit swinging the scythe as she does "I mean come on...at least give me something to work with."

From across the street aboard another rooftop Malcolm Merlyn sat perched on the edge, he had been watching the slayer fight, her technique and strength seemed to have dramatically increased since he had last seen her. And so had her brutality, she used to be more hesitant when it came to killing, that seems to have changed.  
He smirks slightly, this was going to get interesting.

* * *

Oliver hesitates for a brief moment as he watches the police shoot at The Count from behind the black van. Lance hadn't seen him yet, he could easily get away but nothing was ever easy for him. He takes off running after the Count ignoring Diggle calling out to him.

Running down the stairs he manages to quickly catch up to The Count only to grab his arm, however suddenly Oliver finds himself screaming in agony as a needle pierces his chest and his vision suddenly begins to cloud over.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Westbury, England

"Well it's been a while since I've seen something like this." Buffy says as she leans against the brick wall in the nearby alleyway by the pub she had just left. Buffy pauses, pub? Yeah to her that still sounded beyond weird. If she was being honest the biggest appeal about moving back to the states was the fact that she would actually understand everyone and it wouldn't be just millions of Giles' wandering around.

After a long moment of her thinking she shakes her head and turns back to the event that had caught her interest in the first place. She watches as the vampire stands there having forgotten about it's prey, it was now completely focused on her.  
"Slayer." It hisses.  
Buffy smiles "That'd be me." She says as she strolls over before glancing at the teenage boy on the ground "Kid, you got school?"  
The boy who was shaking violently in fear nods "Yes."  
"Well then why you still here? Go like nowish." The boy frowns in confusion before quickly scampering off.

The vampire growls, clearly not happy about losing it's dinner "Can't a guy eat in peace?"  
Buffy chuckles in amusement "Sure...when his food isn't pimply and emo."  
The vampire groans in annoyance before rolling his neck, finally after a moment his eyes settle back on her, this time zeroing in on her neck "Guess I'll just have to skip to dessert."  
Buffy rolls her eyes at the lame line "Seriously that's the best you could come up with?" She asks as she steps to the side as he charges her.  
She turns and watches as he crashes into a nearby wall, breaking his nose in the process.  
"That looks like it stings. Wanna put some ice on that?" She asks gesturing to his now broken nose before punching said nose causing him to cry out.  
Buffy grins "Come on, you're my last hurray."

* * *

Starling City - Present Day

"Uh!" Oliver cries out as he strains against the metal desk in the foundry while Diggle desperately searches around the room.  
Oliver cries out again as he feels the drug spread through his system causing more pain than he had experienced since the Island.  
He looks over at Diggle watching as the bodyguard attempts to get the correct herbs.

However as Diggle runs over Oliver moans again in pain, it was getting worse, and his vision was fading in and out.

* * *

"It's six am." Xander moans as Buffy spins around swinging her leg out at the focus pads he was currently wearing on his arms.

Buffy ignores him and continues to throw a range of kicks and punches at his hands, finally she leaps up in a double spilt kicking both pads at the same time before landing back on her feet.  
As Xander hisses in pain while removing the pads from his now burning hands Buffy stretches out her legs looking up at him "Sorry." She says wincing at the sight of his red hands.  
Xander waves her off before pointing at his eye patch "The party in my eye socket says it's no big deal."  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement, even if it did still kill her that he lost his eyes because of a choice she had made.

With a shake of her shoulders, she rolls them before stretching them across her body. She sighs for a moment before looking at him seriously "So any news on Marcus? The brunt and arrogant?"  
"Not since you split his head in two." Xander says with a shrug as he attempts to lift her weights and like usually has to put them back down straight away due to the strain.

Buffy nods and moves over to treadmill only to freeze as Xander's next words make her pause "Actually I've been thinking of looking into that dark archer guy."  
Buffy's body goes ridged for a quarter of a second before she plasters a sweet but confused look on her face and turns to him "Why? We haven't heard anything."

Xander frowns, she was being evasive, he shakes his head it was probably nothing "Well I just figured, you said his name was the magician, sounded like you thought he was a threat."  
"Well I was wrong." She says quickly before moving past the treadmill and over to the punching bag, she suddenly had the very powerful urge to hit something.

Xander frowns, he was even more confused now than before "Buffy, come on tell me what's going on, you knew this guy...how..."  
"I don't!" Buffy exclaims cutting him off "Look I only knew the name...because..." Buffy pauses for a moment she hated lying to him but she didn't have a choice, no one could ever know about the things that she had done. This was a secret best left buried. "I had one of my Slayer dreams. But the spidy feeling I got went when I stabbed the bastard."

* * *

"You need to see a doctor." Diggle tells Oliver as the billionaire wobbles slightly, clearly still affected by the drug.  
"No." Oliver hisses straight away before pulling himself away from Diggle and stepping out of the elevator at the apartment building Diggle had brought him to.  
"Oliver, god knows what was in that drug. It could be causing permanent damage." Oliver pauses, Diggle waits thinking he was about to say no again only Oliver shrugs at Diggle "I don't know where we are going."  
Diggle frowns for a moment "Oh. Yeah. This way." He says leading him down the hall, as they walk towards apartment B, Diggle glances at Oliver "You've been here before so—"  
"Did not exactly come in the most conventional way, Dig."

Diggle sighs before stopping outside the front door and knocking, he had a spare key however considering he wasn't alone, he thought it was probably best not to just wander inside.

Suddenly a loud crashing noise comes from inside before a loud yell, Diggle's eyes widen and he immediately reach for his holster, kicking down the door he raises his gun only to spot Xander on the ground while Buffy stood over him with a bo-staff.  
Buffy turns her head before groaning "Dig, do you know how much that is gonna cost?" She asks gesturing to the door.  
Xander nods in agreement from the ground "Yeah, man double steeling doors aren't cheap."

Buffy sighs before helping Xander off the ground, she turns back to Oliver and Diggle before groaning "Xand..."  
Getting the point he grabs his jacket and moves towards the door "I was on my way out anyway. Bye Buff. Dig."

As the door closes behind him Buffy crosses her arms keeping the bo-staff in her grasp as she looks between the two men "Diggle, why did you bring your client here?"  
Oliver moves to answer only to wince at the brightness of the light coming through the windows "Buffy, could you move away from the window, I have a bit of a hangover."

Buffy frowns and steps closer to Oliver, before he could say anything she grabs his chin and forces him down to her "Ah, what the hell?" He asks confused while Diggle merely chuckles.  
"Shh." Buffy says as she stares at Oliver's eyes before rolling her eyes, she turns to Diggle "How much Vertigo was pumped into him?"  
Oliver can't help but smile, damn she was good, however she merely hits his arm "Ow! Why?!" He exclaims shocked.  
"Do you think I'm an idiot? What were you going to bring me a syringe and say it's an energy drink?"  
Oliver's jaw clenches tightly, that had been exactly what he was planning to do.

Buffy rolls her eyes "Yesterday you came to me asking about a patient I treated who suffered from Vertigo. Asked about the Count because of your sister." Buffy turns to Diggle and folds her arms "Talk." She says before dragging Oliver over to the couch and forcing him to sit down.

Oliver frowns in confusion but allows the small blonde to pull him away from Diggle who looked like he was about to burst into laughter at any moment.

Buffy sits opposite Oliver who was just watching the blonde as she grabbed a bag from the floor "So why are you really here?" Before he could answer she cuts him off "Oh, no let me guess you decided to find the drug dealer yourself, that's why you were grilling me about him yesterday. My guess something went down and you ended up with a butt load of the drug pumping through your system."  
Oliver sits there in astonishment, she was honestly the most intriguing women he had ever met, although he'd never admit it if anyone asked, so all he did was look over at her "How did you—"

"Diggle brought you here because I'm a paramedic." Buffy says simply getting a nod of confirmation from Dig as she does "He knew you wouldn't got to the hospital. So he brought you to the portable one." Buffy pauses and glances over at her best friend "A warning next time."  
"He would have run off if I had."

Buffy sighs before carefully turning Oliver's face towards her, looking him in the eye she could see not only were they a rather gorgeous blue but they were dilated.  
She sighs before placing a hand on his chest feeling his heartbeat, his very firm chest, she shakes herself, yes he was attractive that was obvious enough.

Oliver watches her intently ignoring the spark of her touching his chest and listened to her carefully as she speaks.  
"Any dizziness?" He nods "Okay um...the pain in your head?"  
"It faded."

Buffy sighs relieved "Most not have been a concentrated dose. A pure dose would have killed you in the first 5 minutes, your brain cells would have started attacking your nerves." She stands and reaches into a nearby draw, pulling out some herbs.  
Oliver frowns before looking at the herbs intently, they looked so much like...  
"I got these when I was in Bulgaria...I was seriously injured almost died but...let's just say my partner at the time he got these from his time in China, all I know is it's miracle worker."

Buffy places them in Oliver's hand ignoring the warm sensation of touching his hand and clears her thought "You'll live. Bed rest and herbs will be your best friend. So what do you really need from me?"

Oliver clears his throat and stands getting a few paces away from the blonde who was now leant against the wall in the corner of the living room, near the table where the sais were kept he realized remembering back to that night.

Oliver pulls two syringes out of his pocket "We managed to get a pure dosage of the drug. Could you please so a spectroanalysis of the sample, so that we can find out exactly where in the city it is made."  
Buffy arches an eyebrow, seriously where the hell did he get the idea that she would be able to do that "Why would I be able to do that. Do I look like Willow?"  
Oliver frowns in confusion, Diggle had promised that Buffy would be able to do the test, he turns to his friend only to spot Diggle focused on Buffy and her alone.

Diggle approaches her slowly "Buffy, I know Lincoln showed you how to analyze blood work and other drugs. You had to do it in the field I'm sure you can do it at a fully functional hospital."  
Buffy blinks up at her slowly, he had rarely used Lincoln's name since he had died, a part of her always felt that Diggle blamed himself for his death, plus the fact that he had introduced them, he blamed himself for the pain that day. But in reality it was never his fault, it was hers and she knew it, everyone around her died especially those closest to her.

She takes a deep breath forcing back the memories of the blood and screaming, looking up at her best friend she sighs "Okay. I'll head to the hospital now, it should be quiet."  
Oliver smiles at the young woman "Thank you."

* * *

As Oliver and Diggle head back into the elevator Oliver glances over at Diggle, he was slightly confused at what had happened in there.  
"Whose Lincoln?" He asks after a brief moment of silence.  
"He's dead and who he is to her is not my business to tell." Diggle tells him with a stern voice making it clear this conversation was not up for discussion.

* * *

Westbury, England - Five Years Ago

Buffy strokes the photo of her and her mom as she stands alone in her room for the finale time, glancing around the small room that had been her home for the past few months she sighs as much as she hated to admit it she was going to miss this place. It had become a familiar place, where she could go but it was never home, she didn't have a home anymore. Placing the photo in her suitcase she zips it up and lifts it off the bed, she knew she had to do this, she had to get her own life and find herself a home, something that she had lost so long ago. Who knows maybe that was in Boston but that was something she was going to have to wait and see.

Climbing down the stairs she spots Xander, Willow and Giles waiting for her, she smiles fondly it seemed fitting, it had started with the four of them, it was only right it ended with the four of them.  
"You really want to do this?" Xander asks as Buffy places her suitcase on the ground.  
Buffy looks up at her friend tears in her eyes "I have to. There is this emptiness in me...I need to be on my own for a while. Find out if I can fill it. With work, love...something."

Willow who looked as though she was close to breaking down wraps her arms tightly around Buffy refusing to detach herself "Promise me, we will talk everyday."  
Buffy smiles and hugs her back "I promise."  
"And when you become a big shot medic remember us." Xander teases.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"Hello?" Oliver answers the next day after handing the Count over to the cops, he turns away from Laurel as she heads back over to Thea and focuses on his phone.  
 _"_ _I got The Count."_ McKenna says happily as she tells Oliver _"Busted up his lab, got him on everything from drug trafficking to homicide. He'll be gone for a long while."  
_ "That's great!" Oliver tells her trying to sound enthusiastic as he does "Thanks."

Oliver frowns hearing the brief hesitation in her voice _"It was great seeing you, Oliver."  
_ "You too." He says honestly, he had actually been nice seeing her again ignoring the fact that he had used her "See you." He says quietly before hanging up the phone and exiting Laurel's office.

* * *

Buffy climbs onto her balcony gracefully but winces slightly as she puts her weight on her leg. Ripping off her mask she clutches her leg winces at the sight of the blood on it, she had been looking for another demon only to fall and end up with her leg having a metal pole from a fence sticking through it.

"Buff!" Willow whispers as she runs out onto the balcony and wraps a hand around her friend's waist as she helps her back into the apartment.  
Buffy winces slightly but mostly ignores the pain, looking down at the wound she sighs most people with this would be screaming and bleeding to death but her it may sting, but she didn't feel it.

Leaning her head against the couch as Willow attempts to sew up the wound she sighs sadly, she hadn't felt proper pain or emotion in years, it was something she missed dearly. She hated this feeling, this emptiness, this hollow shell she had become.  
"What happened?"

"I'm a clutz." Buffy says with a chuckle smiling at her best friend, trying to reassure her that she was fine.  
Willow looks at her sceptically before helping Buffy stand so that she could get that suit off.

As Willow helps her get the suit off Buffy spots the conflicted look on her face, Buffy pauses and grabs Xander's shirt of the couch slipping it over her head before focusing on her best friend "Will, what is it?"  
Willow's eyes widen "What's what? What? Is nothing it? It is nothing." She babbles as she backs away from Buffy.

Buffy chuckles in amusement Willow babble always meant something was wrong "Willow..." She draws out softly waiting for the red head to break.  
After a long moment Willow sighs "Before Walter went missing, he gave me something." When Buffy frowns in confusion Willow grabs her bag pulling out a small book.

Handing it to Buffy the blonde frowns in confusion before opening it, staring at the list of names inside.  
"What is this?" She asks noticing the familiar names on the list she had seen on the news recently.  
"I don't know exactly." Willow tells her "But it all relates to that circle, and I think this is the list the Hood is using, but I can't be sure."  
After a moment Willow runs a hand through her short red hair and looks at Buffy seriously "I think you should give it to Oliver. It involves Walter so he should have it."

Buffy frowns even more confused, one: Willow was not one who ever wanted to just hand over a mystery to someone else and two: why the hell did she want her to give it to Oliver "Why don't you give it to him yourself?"  
Willow smiles slightly, what Buffy didn't know was that she had noticed the little similarities between her and Oliver, and something told her that he would trust her.  
"I think it's best you go...I have a feeling."

* * *

Buffy walks into Big Belly Burger and immediately spotted Oliver sitting at the table by the window.  
"Hi." She says as she walks over to him sitting opposite him "Thanks for meeting me."  
Oliver smiles at her "It's fine I was actually gonna call and thank you for your help anyway...so thank you."  
Buffy chuckles into amusement "No problem." She says before glancing over at Carly and smiling. Sighing she turns back to Oliver "Willow...she's spent the past few weeks keeping things from me...and I'm not hypocrite I'm not going to ask because she doesn't, because she doesn't ask what happened to me."

Oliver frowns in confusion he didn't understand what this was or why she had asked him to meet her "Buffy..."  
"Look." She says cutting him off "She's been dealing with wanting to tell you something and for some reason she thought it would be better if I showed you."  
Buffy pauses and looks at him seriously "Can I trust you?"

When Oliver scoffs and looks at her like she was crazy for even asking the question she rolls her eyes.  
"Look I've been through a lot, just like you. I don't trust easily and I take it you don't either." When Oliver doesn't answer she smiles spotting that familiar look of curiosity yet distrust that she had in her own eyes.

"I'm not an idiot and Willow is practically a genius." She tells him obviously "You have some of the stupidest lies I have heard in my life and that's coming from someone who has heard Willow try and lie." Buffy pauses laughing nervously, she looks at him carefully, there was something about him, something dark and something light hidden beneath the surface, he felt like a kindred spirit of some sort.  
Buffy takes a deep breath examining his facial expression for a moment before pulling at the book and handing it to him.

Oliver's eyes widen briefly but he tries to hide it "Do you know what this is?" She asks.  
"No." He says quietly as he flips through the book "Where did Willow get this?"  
"From your step-father." Buffy says simply as she watches him closely he knew something, maybe not a lot but he knew something more than he was letting on.  
Oliver looks up at her, staring her straight in the eye "Um, where did he get it?"  
"Your house." Buffy tells him "Aka your mother. Walter thought she was hiding something. And then he asked Wil to look into and poof now he's gone. If this cost him his life it's put her in danger as well."


	13. Betrayal

"Let's move." Buffy says as her and Stewart load up the ambulance with the 16-year-old girl, she had fallen through a two-story window and had glass lodged in her spine, if they didn't move quickly she could end up paralysed for life.

They swerve through traffic as quickly as they can before finally making it to the hospital.

Buffy quickly gets the girl out of the van and rolls her into the ER, the minute she spots Dean she hands her off before watching as she is rolled into the ICU.

Buffy sighs at the sight of another young girl in such a dangerous situation, it reminded her of some of the injuries the potential slayers had received during the battle with the First.

Turning away from the ER she smiles at the small girl sat in the wait room with her doll before moving into the staff room.

As she moves to change her phone starts ringing "Hey Xander." Buffy answers as she places the phone against her ear.

 _"_ _Buff, hey. I got some news."_ Buffy pauses listening intently _"I found the next name of the list. Took a while but I found it. Sending it over now."_

Buffy thanks him before hanging up the phone, leaning her head against the metal locker she sighs, so much had happened in the few months that she had lived in this city. From a reappearance of her past enemies to Wolfram and Hart declaring war against her. It was all so much and she was close to breaking.

Taking a deep breath she runs a hand through her hair before looking at the information Xander had sent her. "Time to go to work."

* * *

"So this book contains a list of the names of the guys you've been hunting..." Diggle says as he holds the book Oliver had given him "...and this book..." He then raises the other book Oliver had handed him "...your mother's, that's the same list of names."

Oliver nods still shocked himself over the information, as he takes the book from Diggle he glances at it before looking up at his friend "It's identical."

"So where'd your mother get her copy, Oliver?" Diggle asks, they needed to know this, the fact that Moira had the exact same copy was confusing enough they couldn't risk being left in the dark again, "For that matter who gave it to you?"

Oliver gulps nervously, anytime something had to do with Buffy getting involved Diggle went into protective brother mode."Willow Rosenberg gave it to Buffy." Diggle's eyes widen "Buffy gave it to me."

Diggle sighs before running a hand over his face, Buffy just loved a mystery, she could never leave anything alone.

Oliver stays silent for a moment before continuing "She said that Walter found it in her bedroom. She's my mother Diggle, she's not the kind of person who would—"  
"Have her husband disappear?" Diggle asks the dreaded question silencing Oliver "Because that's really the question isn't it Oliver. I understand why you would believe your mother over your stepfather, but I tend to believe the innocent party is whoever's missing and presumed dead."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston, United States

Buffy stands in the back of her class as they watch the CPR demonstration for the last time. She had been in Boston over four weeks now, and although lonely, she loved every minute of it. She loved her classes and connected with what she was doing for the first time in her life, not even when she was at UC Sunnydale did she connect with or love any of the subjects she was studying.

But this, doing this course it felt right.

She claps with the rest of her class once the demonstration was finished; slowly her class exits the hospital room.

As she walks through the hospital she sighs, although she loved it here she missed her sister and her friends. She shakes her head trying to push away the miserable thoughts.

"Hey, Buffy right?" Buffy pauses as she hears a male voice calling her name, turning her head she pauses as she spots a cute dark haired blonde guy standing in front of her.  
"Yeah, that's me."  
"I'm Leo." He tells her "We're in the same class." He holds out his towards her.  
Buffy smiles at him and shakes his hand "Nice to meet you."  
Leo smiles at her before gesturing to a bunch of the other students that were waiting by the doorway "Come on we're all going out for drinks."

Buffy freezes, she hadn't really hung out with anyone new since moving out her, it had all been so rushed her moving into her apartment and starting school.  
"Um...I don't know..." She hesitantly.  
Leo smiles at her before nudging her slightly "Come on. Live a little."  
Buffy sighs before a smile covers her face "Alright, where to?"

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

Buffy adjusts her mask as she climbs up the side of the Starling City library, climbing in through the top floor window she lands gracefully on the ground. Glancing around the darkness she frowns, she couldn't see anything from here.

Climbing onto the arm frames she allows herself to drop landing in the middle of the abandoned library.

She glances around the room before making her way into the office; she pauses as she spots the photo on the wall...that was her target. Eric Peterson, Baticus Demon.

Buffy stares at the photo for a moment before making her way to his computer. She had been hoping that maybe this target would have some sort of list of any connection, which might help her find Marcus or the other demons.

Suddenly a large crashing noise comes from down the hall, Buffy's eyes widen and instinctively she reaches for the scythe.  
Twirling the scythe in her hands she makes her way down the hall, kicking down the double doors in her way her eyes widen in horror at the sight before her.

Ten men and women lay on the floor doused in their own blood. Several of hem had their throats ripped out while the others were missing limbs.

She clenches her fist as she spots the bite marks in several of the victims it seemed like whoever had done this was literally ripping them apart with their teeth.

* * *

"Heading out?" Oliver asks curiously as he walks into his mother room, and instead of finding her in a dressing gown she was wearing a long professional dress and was standing with a briefcase in her hands.  
She glances over at him and smiles "Yes, a meeting with the financial planners. Harris can only hold them off long enough. He's still young they don't..." Moira pauses as she spots the look on her son's face "Are you all right?"

Oliver was frozen, as he turned to her he buries all emotions, he didn't want to believe what Diggle had been saying but something in him had a doubt...he blinks before smiling at her "There was something that I wanted to talk to you about."

Moira frowns curiously, as she frowns Oliver takes a deep breath before pulling the book Buffy had given him out of his back pocket and showing it to his mother, examining her facial expressions carefully as he does "I wanted to talk to you about Walter. Right around Christmas when he disappeared, he gave me this."

As he hands her the book Moira's eyes were glued to it but her face gave away nothing, she couldn't risk Oliver becoming too curious and asking questions.

As she takes the book in her palms she takes a deep breath "This was your father's notebook. He kept a list of all the people in Starling City who owed him favours. I had no idea there were so many of them." She says as she flips through the pages.

Oliver frowns before trying to push her further "I've been researching some of those names online..." He tells her causing her to look up at him "...and, um, they're not good people."  
"Oliver, I have no idea what your father what your father was involved in or with whom and you and your sister both now know that he wasn't exactly honest with me."

* * *

"It was horrible." Buffy tells Xander as she makes her into the kitchen and grabs her pizza off the stove before heading back into her room where tonnes of books were piled up on her bed next to her laptop as well as a map with several places circled in red markers.  
Adjusting the phone closer to her ear as she sits she shakes slightly "I haven't seen anything like that since I was in Russia. Xander...these bodies whoever did this ripped them apart with their teeth." She shudders slightly before moving to sit on her bed leaning her head against her knees as she listens to her friend.

 _"_ _God."_ Xander breaths, Buffy could practically hear the horror in his voice as he spoke: _"This demon Buff...if he can do that..."_

"Then he's probably in high in the Wolfram and Hart hide a demon group..." She tells him only for him to cut her off.  
 _"_ _Actually I was gonna say he sounds really dangerous. I don't like the idea of you going out there alone."_

Buffy smiles sweetly, as much as she appreciated it, it didn't matter, she was always going to have to do this alone "Xand I'll be fine. I'm trying to track down this guy now." She tells him as she turns to her laptop, Willow had set up an alert for the security cameras around the city, so if he was stopped she would now.  
 _"_ _Just be careful."_

"You too, how's the Moira hunt going?" She asks hoping to change the subject, she knew that Willow had asked Xander to dig into Moira's connection to this book of Oliver's. Buffy shakes her head, in her mind, it seemed like Willow had found a mystery which she was desperate to figure out.

 _"_ _Well, she's heading into the meeting with the financial heads soon. So big with the breaking and entering...so I'm gonna go through her computer."  
_ Buffy shakes her head worried "Be careful?"  
 _"_ _Will do. U too Buff."_ He says before hanging up.

Buffy tosses her phone on her bed before glancing over at her laptop. Nothing. She sighs before leaning her head against the headboard, she was worried, there had been no sign of this guy at the scene no clue as to how to track him down. She exhales in annoyance before turning to the map on her bed, grabbing her red market she circles Coast City before picking up her Ipad. She had been tracking movement from the League, trying to figure out if what they were doing related to Al Sā-ḥir.

As she moves to pick up one of the log books she had stolen from the league her computer buzzes.  
She turns her heads and leans over grinning as she spots the image of her target "Gotcha."

* * *

"Come on." Xander hisses at the computer as he stands in Moira's office. He had set off a small EMP that Willow had given him so that he wouldn't be caught on the security tape.

Tapping his foot impatiently he looks at his watch, he only had two minutes till either the security cameras would come on or the guards would appear.

When there is a beep from the computer he exhales in relief "Finally." He breathes as he quickly plugs in the hard drive Willow had given him.

His finger taps the desk impatiently as the files download extremely slowly, he looks over his shoulder and freezes as he hears heeled footsteps coming towards him.

"No, no, no." He breaths as he realises that the meeting must have finished earlier, glancing at the computer which was at 95% he panics.  
He turns his head and as the footsteps get closer he groans, turning back to the computer his eyes widen as it hits 99%.

"Come on, come on."

Just as it hits 100% the door opens Xander spins around yanking the hard drive out as he does and turns to Moira.  
"Alexander, what are you doing here?" Moira asks watching his suspiciously.

Xander thinks for a moment before walking towards her and smiling "I was hoping to take you out to lunch." He tells her "As a thank you, I know I'm not exactly experienced with a lot of this business and I want to thank you for...taking me under your wing."  
Moira smiles slightly before placing a hand on his shoulder "That would be lovely."

As Xander opens the door for her he exhales in relief before slipping the hard drive into his jacket and following her out the room.

* * *

"Oh. Okay, sixteen, I hacked into city council plans, the security system was laughable." Willow laughs as she and Felicity sit down at Big Belly Burger having lunch together.

Felicity laughs at that, enjoying the fact that she had found someone with the same interest in hacking as she herself did.  
"Your turn." Willow challenges as she takes a bite into her burger.

Felicity adjusts her glasses as she thinks for a moment, "Okay got it. I was 15 and my mom got into trouble at work and her boss was such an ass about it...so I hacked into her boss' accounts and gave all his money to charity. To say he wasn't happy was an understatement."  
Willow laughs at that, enjoying having a friend who understood the joys of computers.

"Hey, sweetie." Carly says to Willow as she walks over and places her coke on the table.  
Willow smiles "Hey Carly."

Carly smiles at her before heading back to the counter where a customer was waiting.  
"How do you know the waitress?" Felicity asks curious "Do you come here a lot? Not that you look like you do? Not that I was looking at you in that way? Not that I would judge...I-I..."  
Willow chuckles slightly "I get it you babble."

Felicity nods before shaking her head and closing her eyes "Like a crazy person. It runs in my family."

Willow shakes her head in amusement, it was kind of funny, honestly the way Felicity spoke actually reminded her of the way Buffy and herself would babble "It's okay. I am a fellow babble gal." She then glances over at Carly "My roommate knows her. They're close."

Felicity smiles at her, glad to find a friend who could understand her babble, she shakes her head before biting into her burger "What are your roommates like?"

Willow smiles fondly as she speaks "They're my family." As Felicity smiles Willow finds herself curious "So what about yourself? Vegas girl."

Felicity groans at that "Shut up." She jokes making Willow laughs, Felicity shakes her head before pausing "Um...just my mom. She's...well insane...loud. The complete opposite of what her sister was like."  
"You're Aunt?" Willow asks curious "You close."  
Felicity freezes for a moment "She died. About 8 years ago"  
Willow's eyes widen in panic "Oh, I'm so sorry."

Felicity shakes her off, honestly, although she loved her aunt they hadn't been close, they had only met a few times over the years "It's okay. We weren't close. Her and my mom were half siblings. My aunt was from my grandfather's first marriage, my mom and her didn't grow up together. They weren't close."

Willow looks at her sadly, she felt for Felicity, she was such a nice person, and it seemed like her family history was complicated and difficult "Any cousins?" She asks trying to change the subject.

Felicity pauses "Actually yeah." She says before glancing at her watch and groaning, they had to get back to work.  
Willow notices and groans as well, back to the demons nest. Not the literal one though.

* * *

"You don't find that a little convenient?" Diggle asks Oliver as he walks over to him, he was still in shock by the fact that Moira had burned the book "...her just so happening to have burned the book?"

Oliver shakes his head, Diggle was taking this all the wrong way, trying to paint her in a bad light "She did it out of concern for my safety, Diggle." He points out trying to make him understand.

"Or her own." Diggle argues as he takes a seat on the stool opposite to where Oliver was stood, he shakes his head, Oliver was clearly being blinded by his mother, refusing to acknowledge what he knew already "Oliver, you said it yourself. Whoever compiled that list is involved with something very dangerous, and if your mother is lying to you—"  
Oliver shakes his head, he refused to believe that his mother was involved in this, it wasn't who she was "And she didn't know any of the names on the list."  
"She said she didn't. You don't have to take her word for it." Oliver sighs and looks away, Diggle groans and tries to make Oliver understand him "Oliver, if this were anybody else, you'd be hooded up right now, on your way to have an Arrowside chat with them."  
"This isn't anybody else. This is my mother and I know her."

* * *

Buffy drops down into the middle of the construction site that she had tracked Eric Peterson too. Glancing around she pulls the scythe off her back and adjusts her mask making sure it was covering the majority of her face before making her way through the sight.

As she looks around she couldn't help the feeling going up and down her spine, something was seriously wrong here, she could feel it in her gut.  
Turning her head she looks up the tall scaffolding, there was something up there she could feel it.

Leaping up she grabs onto the metal pole and drags her body up it till she was on the top level of the construction.  
Glancing around she clutches the scythe tighter sensing that she was about to be in a big fight, one that was likely going to leave her with a lot of bruises.

She follows her instinct and climbs through the scaffolding walking closer and closer to whatever was making her spider sense go haywire.

As she gets the closer the smell hits, it was something that could only be compared to the smell that would come from recently slaughtered animals, making her groan in disgust and she threw up in her mouth slightly, it was so vile. Stepping forward hesitantly she freezes as she spots the trail of blood.

Looking up in horror she spots the pile of dismantled bodies, she gasps and a hand covers her mouth the material of her mask now feeling so constricting.

The sight of it was horrifying, in that moment all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating. She stood there frozen staring at what was left of these poor people, nothing but meat and bloody bones. She looks around in horror as one corpse was literally missing his bottom half while his head was almost cleft from his body. Another was propped up hanging on one of the metal poles from the scaffolding like a rag doll. His head has dropped forward and his chest was covered in blood, it was still wet dripping from him and over the bodies underneath him.

Buffy closes her eyes and looks away turning her back on the horrific scene, she couldn't look anymore, she felt like she was going to be sick. In all her years as the Slayer, she had never seen anything like this. She felt like she was going to cry however a voice from below draws her attention.

"Heard you were looking for my boy?"

Buffy's eyes slam open and instantly a strong sense of fury fills her, she moves towards the voice and places her hands on the metal pole in front of her as she glares down at Marcus who was staring up at her smugly.

"You son of a bitch." She hisses before climbing up and flipping in a tuck through the air before landing on the opposite end of the construction sight from where he was.  
"My boy really did a number to those people didn't he?" Marcus says smugly as him and Buffy circle each other.  
Buffy glares at him, feeling fury for how those poor people had been used as nothing more than a fun game for Marcus and Eric.  
"You're sick." She scoffs out "Do you seriously get a kick off this, cause if you do I feel for the girl who sleeps with you."

Marcus chuckles in amusement "This was just a message. For you." He tells her smirking slightly "Stop going after my demons and stay out of the Triad's business."  
Buffy glares at him "Do you send The Hood dead innocent people as well?"

"Not yet. Maybe soon though. You're closer than he is. You may wanna get your girl to stop digging."  
Buffy's eyes glaze over at the mention of Willow "You touch her and I will end you."

Marcus laughs loudly making her stare in disbelief he was seriously enjoying this "My boy was hungry." He tells her "And when he is he gets a bit messy...as you've seen." He says with a giant smirk "Luckily for him I needed a favor so I gave him a nice meal. Really helps _build_ strong bones." He covers his mouth "Too soon?" He asks chuckling at his own pun.

Buffy growls, that was it he had caused her to snap, she was filled with rage, rage for the meaningless deaths of those people and worry for Willow.

Marcus steps towards her and she cartwheels to the side before spinning attempting to land a kick but he steps out of the way easily, he was toying with her, which pissed her off that much more.  
She raises her leg towards him and he blocks it with his arm, as he slams her leg back down she steps forward attempting to punch him but he blocks her blow. Hissing in annoyance she twirls around her leg spinning through the air towards him however again he ducks it easily.

He spins around out of the way of her kick and as her leg lands back on the ground he steps forward and punches her in the face sending her flying into the piles of wood in the corner by the newly built concrete wall.

Buffy groans and stands only to have him jab her in the face, she gasps slightly before leaping up spinning the scythe towards him as she does.

As she lands on her feet she jumps up kicking him in the chest, as he stumbles she steps forward attempting to bring the axe down on him but to her horror, he catches the handle just underneath the axe in his palm. Despite the fact that smoke was coming off of his hand he smirks at her as her eyes widen; he shoves a hand into her chest sending her flying backwards causing her to loose her grip on the scythe.

Buffy groans as her back hits the wall painfully, she ignores the pain and glares at Marcus as he tosses her scythe away, running at him she throws her fist up only for him to duck underneath her arm and come up next to her. He swings his arm down at her and she quickly twirls out of the way before it could make contact with her.

She brings her leg up kicking him in the side but it doesn't affect him in the slightest as he sucker punches her across the face twice before grabbing her by the throat, yanking her off her feet he launches her into the wall.

As her head connects with the wall Buffy cries out, she slides to the floor and feels blood dripping down her face, yanking down her mask, she turns back to Marcus as he approaches her.

She quickly rolls and moves out of the way as he throws his fist towards her, luckily it narrowly misses her and ends up buried in the concrete.

Buffy, back flips up back to her feet kicking Marcus in the face with one of her feet as she does.  
As she lands on her feet she doesn't expect Marcus to send a strong kick into her chest sending her crashing into a metal pole.

Buffy groans but quickly focusing as she spots Marcus coming back towards her, she forces the pole away from the scaffolding and twirls it in her palm for thrusting to forward knocking Marcus in the stomach. She swings the pole again knocking him in the jaw sending him stumbling.

As he stumbles she places the end of the pole on the ground and leaps up using the pole to swing her body through the air towards the scythe.

Before her hands could reach her weapon, however, Marcus leaps through the air and grabs the back of her head, yanking on her hair he tosses her to the ground away from the scythe.

Buffy groans but quickly flips herself back up onto her feet, as Marcus comes towards her she slides underneath his legs and across the floor landing right next to the scythe.

Grasping it quickly she stands back up and slices it through the air towards him, he steps back and as she swings it again he grasps it hissing slightly as he does.  
The two struggle for dominance but Marcus manages to twist the scythe sending Buffy flipping through the air before landing painfully on the ground.

Before she could stand Marcus kicks her in the gut before kicking her in the head, Buffy groans as her head hits the concrete painfully.  
Her eyes widen as she spots him again about to bring his foot down on her, rolling over she narrowly misses him from hitting her.

As she stands something heavy connects with her chest sending her crashing throw a wood wall.

Her eyes widen as she spots the block of concrete that Marcus had hit her with, she groans slightly before standing, raising her fists she spits out the blood from her mouth and turns to him.

Marcus smirks before stepping towards her, Buffy steps out of the way as he swings his fist and leaps up kicking him in the gut, as she lands on her feet she instantly spins around swinging her leg but to her horror he grabs her leg catching it in a vice hold.

She screams out in agony as he yanks on her leg dislocating it, as she feels the bone snap she gasps in pain, she bites her lip before wrapping her other leg around his arm, twisting she throws herself into a flip causing his body to topple to the ground as well as her own.

As she lands on the ground Buffy attempts to stand and quickly limps away only to have Marcus grab her again he elbows her in the face before punching her in the gut.  
As his fists connect with her blood flies out of her mouth as she gasps for breath. This wasn't right he wasn't this strong before.

Marcus smirks before wrapping a hand around Buffy neck and lifting her off the ground "Every time you kill me I come back stronger girl. Remember that." He warns before punching her in the face one last time splitting her lip and sending her crashing into a pile of metal poles.

As she lays there unmoving he smirks before glancing at her scythe he was tempted to take it but it burnt his flesh every time he touched it, sighing he grabs the metal pole she had used earlier and slams it at the other pole that was currently keeping the floor above Buffy's body upright.

As he does the floor collapses the wood and metal landing over where Buffy had landed covering her from view.

Buffy turns her body slightly just to avoid getting stabbed through with a long metal pole but finds herself unable to move again as she was trapped under all the rubble.

Groaning and fighting to keep conscious she reaches for her phone and presses 1 on her speed dial hoping they would pick up before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Diggle sits in the lair watching as Oliver speaks to Laurel over the phone as the Hood. As he sits there he sighs, Oliver was refusing to listen to reason and was ignoring the obvious because he was allowing his emotions to take over. His mother knew something and Diggle knew that deep down Oliver agreed with him, but he was just too scared to admit that his mother could have done anything wrong.

He stands and moves over to Oliver listening to his end of the conversation as he does.

 _"_ Laurel, attaining evidence isn't what I do." Oliver says into the phone before pausing for a moment to listen to her "Hold onto the phone, I'll call." He says finally before hanging up.

As he puts his phone back in his pocket he turns to Diggle who was now stood beside him, but refusing to look at him "Laurel needs my help." Oliver tells him only getting a small nod from the bodyguard.

Diggle stands there for a moment as Oliver heads towards the exit before finally turning "Oliver..." He says making the billionaire pause and turn to him "...are you running to help her or away from the truth about your mother?" He asks as he takes a step towards his friend.  
Oliver clenches his jaw "I have work to do." He merely says shutting him down before heading out the back door.

Diggle watches him leave before sighing, he rubs his hand over his jaw, he was worried, Oliver could be doing a lot of damage by refusing to acknowledge even the possibility that Moira was involved in something bad. He knew that he needed to find something, some form of evidence or truth that would help Oliver come to terms with the possibility, but the biggest problem was how to do that.

Before he could even begin contemplating an idea, his phone rings, groaning he grabs his phone from his pocket only for his anger to decrease at the name on the screen. She always had a way of cheering him up and knowing when he needed it most.

"Hey, Buff..." He answers only to freezes as he hears her coughing violently and her breathing becoming really shallow.

 _"_ _Dig...help me."_

* * *

"Buffy!" Diggle exclaims as he runs into the construction sight he had tracked Buffy's phone too, his voice filled with terror. Shortly after she had asked for help she had passed out, never before had he been so scared for her in his life, she had always thrown herself head first into dangerous situations but normally he had been there to back her up but now...Diggle sighs frustrated, even the idea of her not being okay killed him, she was his family.

He glances around the construction spot and immediately freezes as he spots the scythe, he runs towards it and as he picks it up he pauses, a smell so strong hitting him.

Suddenly something wet drops onto the back of his neck, as he stands he touches his neck only to spot blood, frowning he looks up only to have to look away at the sight of corpses above him.

He clenches his jaw in disgust and horror before shaking his head, he needed to find Buffy, whoever had done that to those people had hurt her badly.

Glancing around his eyes widen as he spots her small hand peeking out of a rubble of wood, bricks and stone. Running forward he drops the scythe on the floor beside him as he begins digging "Buffy! Buffy!" He screams as he digs as fast as he can trying to get to her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity he spots her face, moving some more bricks out of the way he grabs her and lifts her into his arms "Buffy?! Come on, girl!"

Buffy who was covered in blood and bruises glances at him for a brief moment "Dig." She breaths out before darkness consumes her once again.

* * *

"Willow! Xander!" Diggle yells as he kicks down the front door of Buffy's apartment and rushes inside, Buffy still unconscious in his arms.

"What the hell?" Xander mumbles as he comes out of his bedroom, his hair ruffled and an exhausted look on his face, that lunch with Moira had really taken a lot out of him, that woman could just ramble on and on.  
Xander turns to look at the person who had woken him up only to freeze as he spots a distraught Diggle holding an unconscious Buffy in his arms while the scythe was peeking out of his bag.

"Willow!" Xander screams as he runs over and pushes everything off the kitchen table so that Dig could place Buffy on top of it.  
"What's with all the—Oh my god." Willow starts only to gasp as she spots a bloody Buffy laying on the kitchen table.

She quickly grabs the emergency medical bag from the cupboard and runs over, Diggle takes it and as Willow helps adjust Buffy's head Xander runs to get the herbs from Buffy's room.

"What the hell happened?" Willow asks as she examines Buffy's injuries, four of her ribs were busted, her right leg was dislocated and bleeding heavily, there was large bruising along her jaw and neck. She also had a split lip and a large cut over the top of her eye that was leaking blood.

"She called me." Diggle tells her as he cleans the blood off Buffy's face carefully, trying not to hurt her as he did, I found her in a construction sight, half dead buried underneath the rubble." He pauses and looks at her seriously "Will, there were bodies, ripped apart I've never...I've never seen anything like that before."

Willow gulps, remembering the scene that Buffy had told them about when she had gone looking for Eric the first time.  
Diggle frowns, Willow didn't look horrified like someone who was just hearing about this for the first time would be, she knew something, he had not known Willow very long but he knew enough from Buffy to know that the redhead was a terrible liar.

"Willow..." He hisses only for Buffy to suddenly gasp and sit up only to cry out in agony and collapse back down.

"Buffy!" Diggle exclaims his focus now completely on his best friend who was clenching her fist, the pain from her leg searing.

* * *

After taking out all the guards with a few arrows Oliver makes his way around the back of the mansion, where Laurel had told him Cyrus was staying.

Walking around the back of the building he shoots one last arrow at the wall near Cyrus and the blonde woman just out of sight so they wouldn't spot it.

Pressing the button on his bow he waits a moment before he spots the red light on the arrow come on. It was recording. It wouldn't be long till he had the intel.

Walking around into the back yard he hides behind several of the trees before bringing the tape recorder to his ear so that he could hear what they were discussing.

 _"_ _I need to do something, something spectacular, to get their attention and earn their respect."_

* * *

"Ready?" Diggle asks Willow, Xander and Buffy as he moves around to hold her leg, they needed to put it back in place and as Buffy refused to go into hospital they had to do it themselves. Diggle sighs slightly, she was just as damn stubborn as Oliver sometimes.

Buffy looks over at Xander and Willow who were holding her down to keep her from crying out, luckily she too weak so the two of them were able to hold her down, just barely.

Xander looks over at Diggle before nodding "1...2...3!"

On three Diggle pulls on her leg violently until there is a loud snapping noise.  
Buffy grasps onto the table shattering the edges of the wood under her fists as she screams out in agony.

After a long moment, her head collapses back down on the table, as she continues to hyperventilate Willow moves over to face her and takes her hand.

Diggle watches his best friend lie there in agony before his phone buzzes, he quickly checks his phone and realises that Moira was leaving soon. He had planned to take over for her driver so he could keep an eye on her. He sighs, not wanting to leave Buffy, whatever she was doing for the Watcher's Council had almost got her killed and he needed to know the truth.

Thinking for a moment he turns to Xander, he worked with Moira and was less likely to raise suspicion if he offered her a ride "Harris?"  
Xander who was placing a bag of ice against Buffy's jaw looks up "Yeah, Dig?"  
"I need a favour."

* * *

Xander sighs as he drives the car through the city with Moira sat next to him, he couldn't believe Diggle had managed to get him to agree to this. He wanted to be helping Buffy, he had felt so guilty the moment Diggle had run into the apartment with her. Xander sighs internally, he hated himself slightly he was the one who had told Buffy about this target, had let her go in alone.

Shaking himself he blinks trying to focus, he was here for a reason, Diggle had said that he thought something was off with Moira and Xander couldn't help but agree.

"I can't help but thank you again Alexander." Moira says from her seat "Ricky has been driving me for six years now, and I can't remember the last time he missed a day."

Xander smiles at her trying to hide him uncomfortableness "Mrs. Queen. It's really no problem." He tells her biting his tongue slightly "I needed some time to clear my head anyway. Driving does that for me."

Moira arches a brow, there was something off about this whole situation to her "Are you sure Miss Summers won't miss you? And please I told you to call me Moira."  
"Buff can handle herself Mrs. Queen..." Xander pauses when she glares at him and clears his throat "Sorry Moira."  
Moira smiles before glancing out of the window "It's been so long since I sat up front in a car." She says with a small chuckle before pausing "You can stop just up ahead."

Xander pulls the car open and grabs his umbrella before circling the car to open her door for her.  
As he covers her with the umbrella she smiles at him "Ever the Gentleman Alexander."  
"My mother..." He pauses, his mother had not exactly been big on the chivalry, Buffy's mom, however, had become a second parent to both him and Willow "Joyce taught me well Ma'am."  
Moira smiles at him "No need to escort me inside." She tells him "I'm fine on my own, Alexander."

"Gottcha. I have my tetras to keep my company." He says with a chuckle as he shows her his game boy.  
Moira shakes her head in amusement before heading into the restaurant

As she disappears inside Xander's smile falls and he grabs his phone sending a quick message to Dig before heading inside.

* * *

Oliver turns to face away from Laurel as they stand on the roof, "Evidence he's trying to take over the positions vacated by Frank Bertinelli and—and the Triad." He says hesitantly after he had handed her the hard drive with the recordings he had taken on it.

As he speaks he pauses something was wrong, someone was watching them, he could feel it in his bones.

Laurel frowns as the Hood goes ridged and deadly silent "What's wrong?"  
"We're not alone." He says quietly.  
Laurel's eyes widen "What?" She gasps only for her focus to swing to the door to her left which she had come through just a few moments before. She freezes as she spots her father walk through the door his gun raised towards the Hood.

"SCPD!" Lance exclaims.

Oliver panics and grabs Laurel pulling her towards him her back pressed up against him as he walked backwards him his arm around her throat, extremely softly, trying not to hurt her.

"Dad!" Laurel exclaims in shock as Lance and the other cops stand with their guns raised towards the Hood.  
Lance glares at the vigilante as he continues to lead Laurel towards the edge of the roof "You so much as leave a bruise on her, and I swear I will drag you down to hell myself."

Oliver leans in closer to Laurel "Laurel, I'm sorry." He breaths before pushing her towards Lance and leaping off the roof.

* * *

"Nothing so far." Diggle breaths as he spots the text from Xander before glancing over at Buffy who was sat on the couch mixing a bowl of herbs.

She looks up at him curiously waiting for him to continue "He's gonna stay with her...we'll see." He breaths before moving to sit next to her.

Buffy tilts her head before sighing "Sorry Dig. If it helps Will's still going through Moira's hard drive but there's not been a lot of luck so far." She tells him knowing that he was frustrated and worried.

Diggle shrugs before taking the bowl out of her hands, slowly he takes several of the herbs in his palms and carefully applies it to her still healing wounds, when she hisses slightly, he frowns with worry.

After a moment he places the bowl down before looking at her seriously "What happened tonight, Buff?"  
Buffy sighs before running a hand through her hair, she didn't know how to explain what happened to Diggle, he didn't know about the supernatural and she didn't want to lie to him.

"One of my targets..." She breaths "...he slaughtered those people...by the time I got there he was gone." She blinks back the memory of the bodies before glancing at her best friend "...One of the top men at the Organization that the Watcher's Council has me looking into was there."

Diggle frowns in confusion, that still didn't explain a lot, Buffy had super-strength how could she have been beaten down so harshly.  
Buffy sensing his confusion smiles sadly "He's like me Dig..." She says trying to figure out how to explain this without freaking him out "...stronger. The people we're fighting keep making him stronger so that he can kill me."

Diggle takes a deep breath, he didn't like this, her risking her life constantly, throwing an arm over her shoulder he allows her to lean her head on his shoulder "Nothing is gonna happen to you." He tells her.  
Buffy smiles at him "Ever the big brother Dig."

"Hey." He tells her looking down at her head "I know you won't let me help you yet, but I'm going to make sure you're okay. No matter what."  
Buffy lets out a small laughing breath she could imagine him just following her around on missions making sure that not a hair on her head was hurt.

She smiles and hugs him tightly, as she pulls away, his phone starts buzzing.

Diggle sighs and turns his head to stare at the screen only to spot a message from Oliver, he looks up at Buffy but she smiles at him "Go. We'll talk later."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Boston

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Everyone cheers as Buffy holds the challenge drink in her hands, it was a meter long glass filled with beer and she was currently trying to guzzle it down as quickly as possible.  
As she takes her final gulp she slams the glass back down on the table and everyone around her cheers.

Buffy high fives Leo as he walks over to her "For a tiny girl you can hold your own." He tells her.  
Buffy chuckles in amusement before wiping the foam from her mouth, it had been so long since she had done this, just gone out and actually had a good time with some friends.

"Beer is bad." She says with a chuckle before shaking her head and ordering another drink "But to hell with it."  
"There we go." Leo says with a cheer before he holds out a shot of tequila towards her. Her eyes widen only for him to chuckle as she protests "Come on Buff, live a little."

Buffy laughs "One." She says sternly before knocking back the shot quickly groaning at the taste slightly.  
As her face groans in disgust, Leo laughs before tapping her on the back "Did good there Summers." He tells her before heading over to the dance floor where several of her classmates were dancing around.

Buffy shakes her head in amusement before leaning her arms on the bar, she had had quite a lot to drink so far and it was starting to get to her head. Glancing at her phone she groans as she spots a missed call from Willow. They had barely spoken since she had moved to Boston, they always seemed to keep missing each other.

Ordering a glass of water she takes a deep breath, it was two in the morning and she had work at the restaurant tomorrow, she had only been there a few days and really couldn't afford to lose her new job.

Suddenly a warm sweaty hand finds it way to her lower back making her eyes glaze over in annoyance "Well Hello Gorgeous."

Buffy groans before turning her head to the drunk guy standing next to her, he was barely standing using the bar to keep himself upright.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asks as he moves his hand lower towards her ass, Buffy lets out a groan and grabs his hand forcing it off her "No thanks."  
"Oh come on." He slurs as he steps closer and moves to hair out of her face, Buffy steps off her stool, sobering up quite quickly now "I said no." She tells him as she grabs her jacket "I was just leaving."

"Come on now darling." He says grabbing her wrist before stepping closer attempting to pull her closer to him, he moves his hands over her ass and at that Buffy had had enough.

She grabs the back of his head pulling on the ends of his hair so that she could yank his head back "Bitch!" He mutters in pain as she yanks on his hair painfully.  
Buffy rolls her eyes before slamming his head onto the bar knocking him unconscious.  
"Sleep it off." She hisses before grabbing her bag and heading out the back exit.

"And the night is now ruined." She says to herself as she walks outside into the brisk cold, pulling on her leather jacket, she sighs. She knew that she probably shouldn't have done that but when it came to creeps who thought that just because they were drunk they could grope at a woman it pissed her off.

Sighing she looks around the alley and begins to make her way towards the main street however the sounds of grunts and hisses of pain making her pause.

Turning her head she runs forward, still slightly wobbly from the beer but she keeps going nonetheless.  
Her eyes widen as she spots a large red horned demon just as he throws a blonde haired man into a nearby dumpster.

"Are you guys having a fight?" Buffy asks sweetly as she steps into view, the demon turns his head only to hiss at her "Slayer."  
Buffy smirks "Hi." She says before ducking out of the way as the demon run at her. She ducks under his arm and stands up behind him kicking him in the back sending him crashing into the wall.

She approaches him and blocks him massive arm as he attempts to punch her, backhanding him she leaps into a cartwheel kicking him in the face as she spins.

Once she lands on her feet she punches him in the jaw sending him stumbling back, quickly she grabs the metal pole on the floor and throws it towards him, it buries itself in his skull and slowly his body melts into the wall.

"Bloody hell." A voice says from behind her, Buffy turns her hair swaying with her as she spins around to face the blonde man that she had saved. He runs a hand through his hair before adjusting his jacket, as he turns to her he growls at her in anger "What the bloody hell did you do that for?!" He hisses gesturing to the demon.

Buffy's eyes widen "You're kidding right, I just saved your life."  
"I didn't need your help, luv." He hisses "Look if you were hoping for a bit of gratitude off me that can be arranged..." He says leering at her slightly "...but I kind of needed that demon. Mystical energy and all."

Buffy states at him in astonishment "Are you hitting on me?"  
He looks her up and down before smirking "Why not, luv?"

Buffy rolls her eyes, first the guy yells at her for saving his life, now he was hitting on her "I'm out of here. Good luck guy."  
The blonde watches her for a moment before following her "Actually it's Constantine."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"Laurel could have been hurt or worse." Oliver says angrily as he slams his fist down on the desk.  
Diggle stares at his friend, he was in denial "And I suppose that was Lance's fault."

At his words, Oliver feels his anger and rage grow he spins around to face Diggle his jaw clenching as he does "What's your point, Dig?"  
If the situation was any different Diggle would have laughed, Oliver was still blind to how Laurel and his mother affected his emotions "Just that you don't really see straight when it comes to Laurel or your mother."

Oliver scoffs angrily hissing slightly he steps forward furiously "This is not the time to bring this up again." He says in a threatening tone.

Diggle raises his hands in defence as he recognises Oliver's murderous look "Ok. But there is something I should tell you and it's better I tell you now than later. I had Harris drive her around today because I couldn't do it. But for the next few days, I will be. Harris is going to be helping me."

Oliver's eyes glaze over in fury, he couldn't believe that not only had Diggle gone behind his back but he had also involved someone that they barely knew in their business.  
"You're spying on her. And you involved Harris, what the hell!"  
"Just doing my due diligence..." Diggle tells him "Oliver see if she meets with anyone we might be interested in. Xander is around her at work, he can keep an eye out there."

"She's not a suspect." Oliver hisses "She's my mother."  
Diggle stares down at him refusing to back down "Which is exactly why someone needs to take a close objective look at her."

* * *

"Hey, blondie." A voice says making Buffy turn her head away from her laptop and close the book in her hand. She had been trying to track down Marcus and Eric, she needed to find them as soon as possible, she couldn't risk more people being tortured and massacred.  
She glances up only to smile sweetly as she spots Dean standing in the doorway with a box of pizza in his hands and a Big Belly Burger bag.

"Willow, let me in." He tells her as he moves to sit next to her on the couch. As he sits down he looks at her with a worried frown, her face was bruised as was her jaw and neck, she had a massive cut above her eye and a split lip.

"What happened to you?" He asks her as he places a hand on her chin.  
Buffy turns her face to look at him and shrugs "I'm fine Dean."  
Dean chuckles before rolling his eyes "And I'm a demon hunter..." He jokes before looking at her seriously "Come on seriously what happened?"

Buffy sighs trying to figure out what to tell him, to Dean she was the crazy paramedic and ex-solider, he didn't know about the Watcher's Council like Dig did, and he didn't know about her strength. "I fell down the stairs." She tells him refusing to meet his gaze as she speaks "Told you I was a clutz."

Dean looks at her sceptically for a moment before handing her the bag of burgers "Well the clutz should be fed."

Buffy chuckles and groans in pleasure at the smell of the burger, Dean smirks and leans in closer, his lips hovering just a graze away from her neck "I love it when you make that noise." He whispers.  
Buffy takes a deep breath as she feels his breath on her neck, she blinks a few times before biting her lip.

When Dean pulls back he moves in to kiss her only to steal her burger from her.  
Buffy laughs "Hey!" She exclaims as she snatches the burger back before kissing Dean to keep him from trying to steal it again.

* * *

"You look like you're working." Tommy says mocking shock as he walks into the Queen living room where Oliver was currently reading through a file from the pile in front of him.  
Oliver scoffs before chuckling "I'm going over resumes for the chef's position at the nightclub." He tells him as Tommy takes a seat on the couch next to him.

As Tommy picks up a file Oliver hands him the one he was reading "This one's pretty good. He won 'Top Chef' season six."  
Tommy doesn't even look at it "At this point, it is basically a culinary prerequisite to be on that show."  
Oliver frowns "Oh."

Tommy clenches his jaw for a moment trying to think of a way to bring this up, it wasn't exactly the easiest topic for him to discuss especially with Oliver "Can I talk to you about something?"  
Oliver smirks slightly "Tommy, every time you want to talk to me about something and that something is Laurel, you look like you're about to tell me you have a terminal disease."  
Tommy smiles slightly before looking away "She's been working with the Hood guy."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

"I saved your life now go away." Buffy says completely annoyed as she heads towards her apartment, she had saved the guy only for him to complain and then start following her home and not once in the whole meeting had he shut up, she was getting really close to just punching him and sending him to sleeping town.

"No, you screwed up a deal I had that situation under complete control." Constantine tells her as he runs up next to her, she had continued to speed up her pacing to get away from him, for a tiny girl she walked fast.  
Buffy scoffs and turns to face him poking a hand on his chest "You...were getting choked and about to join the world of the living dead."

Constantine smirks down at the small blonde Slayer "Oh please sweetheart I spend more time with the dead than I care to bloody think about. You and your little blonde head just went all Sarah Connor before I could explain the situation."

Buffy throws her arms up in frustration, this idiot was getting on her last nerve, it was like Spike on drugs.  
She glances around the street only to realise that she was outside her apartment block, she smiles relieved before turning back to the blonde idiot that she had saved "You know what..." She says sweetly doing her best babble blonde impression "You are so right...silly me. I'm so sorry for saving your life..." She pauses before glaring at him "...next time...I'll watch the demon throw you around the room like a Barbie!" She yells before opening the gate and slamming it behind her locking him out of the building.

She smirks at him before waving goodbye "Goodbye Constantine...I hope we never meet again."

Without letting him get another word in she walks into her building and starts heading up the stairs.  
The alcohol had completely left her system now and she was just exhausted and annoyed.

Finally, she spots her front door, she sighs in relief as she imagines crashing on her nice bed and sleeping for several hours.  
Closing the front door behind her she leans against it for a moment before slipping her heels off one at a time.

Walking into the living room she reaches for the light switch only for the lights to suddenly switch on, she quickly grabs the knife off the table and spins around only to spot Constantine in all his trench wearing jackass behaviour perched on her couch holding her favourite mug.

"How the hell..." She begins to ask only for him to grin.  
Constantine sits up and places her mug on the table "Lovely little place here." He tells her before grinning "Now back to our conversation, you didn't let me finish...you see I needed that Demon but I wasn't supposed to meet him till tomorrow. I was actually looking for you...Buffy Summers."  
Buffy's eyes widen at that "Huh?"

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

Xander watches from across the street as Moira climbs out of the car Diggle was driving and heads into the bank. He waits a few minutes before crossing the street towards Diggle's car.  
"So?" Xander asks him.

John climbs out of the car before leading Xander towards the building that Moira had just entered "She says, accountant."

Xander groans at that before frowning, he had been the one to meet with the Queen Consolidated Accountant last week, "Something is definitely fishy in this shindig, huh scobs?" Xander jokes.

When Diggle merely watches him un-amused before moving ahead of him, Xander groans "Great Xander, had to make a stupid joke, you are never gonna be James Bond." He mutters to himself before continuing to follow Diggle up the stairs.

As they turn down into the hallway they both pause as they hear Moira's voice, Diggle glances over Xander and the two at each other. Quickly making their way into the staff room they silently move over to the wall on the far side of the room and place their ears against the wall.

Xander frowns as he is unable to hear anything, it's then however that he remembers that he had a piece of Buffy's tech in his pocket. Reaching for it, he hands one ear piece to Diggle before slipping the other into his own ear.

Once both of them were ready Xander grabs the device the Willow had designed and presses it against the wall allowing them to hear the conversation on the other side of the wall.

 _"_ _I've taken care of it..."_ They hear Moira say _"Carl Ballard will not be a problem anymore."_

 _"_ _Given your propensity for squeamishness..."_ A male voice says making Xander pause, he recognised that voice _"...I'm assuming that Mr Ballard remains in good health."_

As they continue to listen to the conversation Xander turns to John "That's Malcolm Merlyn." He reveals making Diggle's eyes widen "The owner of Merlyn Global?" He asks stunned.

As they continue to listen one word stands out _The Undertaking_ , Diggle frowns in confusion, whatever it was, it did not sound good.

 _"_ _The warehouse where you're storing the remains of the Queen's Gambit."_ Merlyn says making both men freeze in horror, Moira had the Gambit, but that would only mean she had something to do with it sinking in the first place. Quickly their horrors are confirmed as they hear the dreaded words from Moira herself.

 _"_ _I already told you I knew Robert's yacht was sabotaged."_

Diggle couldn't believe it, this would crush Oliver, finding out that his own mother was somehow involved in his father's death and the fact that he spent 5 years being tortured on an island.

Sighing he glances over at Xander only for the staff door to open suddenly.

"What the hell are you doing?" An older man asks as he walks in.

"Nothing." Diggle answers as he pulls away from the wall and tosses Xander his ear piece "Just hanging. I work for Mrs Queen."  
"Same, ditto...yeah me to." Xander stutters slightly before smiling.

The older man looks at them both unconvinced "And I work security for the man she's meeting with." He says as he approaches.  
"Guess that means we're on the same team." Diggle says kindly.

"I don't think so, and I'm going to need to see what you just tossed to eye patch over there." He says gesturing to Xander.  
Diggle scoffs "What are you, man, the police?"  
"Show it to me. Do it now."

Diggle sighs before nodding at Xander, Xander groans before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a flash drive, smirking he presses the button causing a small flash to go off. As it does the guard freezes going completely rigid "What the hell was that?" Diggle hisses as Xander grabs his arm and pulls him out of the room.

"Device from the Watcher's Council. Causes temporary immobility and short-term memory loss."

Diggle stares in shock as Xander leads him back out of the building, he couldn't believe something like that even existed, let alone that one of Buffy's friends just had it lying around "That's a dangerous thing to have." Diggle points out as they move down the stairway.  
Xander sighs, he hadn't meant to use it but it was the only thing on him that would have worked in that situation "Yeah well it's a good thing my company has it."

"The company involved with Mrs Queen you mean?" Diggle points out as he stops in his tracks and turns to face Xander.  
Xander sighs, trying to figure out a way to explain this "Queen Consolidated doesn't have access to anything my company designs."

"And what exactly does your company do?" Diggle asks flatly as he turns to face Xander, he didn't like this company, there were too many secrets and they continued to send Buffy out on missions by herself that almost got her killed, it was almost like she was their only field agent.  
"What does this company have Buffy doing, huh? She almost died on her last mission for your company."

Xander sighs, he knew that Diggle was protective of Buffy and knew that he most probably hated the dangers that she was constantly put in "I can't tell you that, you know that. But...John, she doesn't want help, even if we had it she wouldn't take it..." Xander pauses and looks up at John seriously "She's never been the same, not after what happened."

* * *

Buffy groans as she lies on the couch with her leg laid out on several pillows, she was bored and it was driving her insane. Not being able to move around and exercise or even work was going to make her go stir crazy.

She hated being injured, it sucked, and what sucked more was that Marcus had barely even been bruised by her hits, they were making him stronger, hoping that one day she wouldn't survive, wouldn't get away.

Slowly she leans back into the couch, she knew the herbs were slowly starting to kick in but it was the waiting that was driving her nuts, she wasn't exactly the most patient person. What was driving her nuts the most though was the fact that the demon that had massacred those people was still out there, and here she was unable to track it down and if anyone was hurt while she was stuck here on the couch, it would kill her.

"Heya Buffster." Xander's voice says from the front door as he enters the apartment and focuses on his still healing friend "Where's Willow?" he asks as he hangs up his coat and moves to sit beside her.

"Work." Buffy says simply before turning to look at him seriously "How did it go with Dig?"

Xander sighs, he was still in shock himself, Moira and Malcolm were working together on a dangerous project and it all had something to do with the Queen's Gambit sinking.

"He's..." Xander pauses trying to figure out how to explain what happened "...we confirmed that Moira is a nasty little liar. But more than anything he's...he's worried about you." He tells her making her face soften "You're his kid sister, the only family he's got...and you almost dying...Buffy, it crushed him. You should have seen him when he brought you home half dead. He's worried about the work you're doing for the council and I'm worried too..."

Buffy frowns at that, Diggle she could understand worrying because he didn't have any idea about this world, all he knew was she was a young woman going up against these strong villains without any back-up and support, but Xander...he had seen stuff like this and worse.

Xander turns to face her, knowing that she was slightly confused "Buffy...I'm worried that...you don't care if you die."

Buffy gulps slightly, she didn't know what to say in that moment, she had lost so much in the past five years, hell the past 13 years, ever since she had become the Slayer, and it was all beginning to pile up.  
For the past few years Spike's words had begun to make more sense ' _Every Slayer has a death wish, even you.'_ Maybe it was true and she had just been in denial.

* * *

Diggle rubs his forehead as he leans on the desk in the foundry, he didn't know what he was going to do. How in the hell was he supposed to tell Oliver the truth about his mother? Knowing that his mother had been a part of the worse day of his life could cripple Oliver, or could send him over the edge.

His time of contemplation, however, was cut short as he hears Oliver enter the room, sitting up straight he turns to face his friend "Thanks for coming. Didn't seem like a good idea to talk about this at your house."

Oliver glares at him, he was still pissed about all of Diggle's accusations regarding his mother "Yeah it would have been a little awkward for you to explain to my mother that you're spying on her and that you got Harris involved as well."  
"No, I'm not..." Diggle pauses "We weren't." Slowly he pulls out the recorder device Xander had used while they had been outside the room that Moira and Malcolm had been in earlier "Awkward part's coming up."  
Oliver stares down at the device furiously "You bugged my mother?" He hisses out.

"Actually Harris did but that's not the point." Diggle points out before looking at him seriously "Just listen."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Boston

"Would you just listen for a bloody second?!" Constantine exclaims as he goes flying across the kitchen counter before crashing to the ground below.

Buffy who had just thrown him across the room grabs the knife off the table before circling around the counter to face him. She places her foot on his back holding him down pinning him painfully against the hard cold floor "What the hell are you doing here?!" She hisses.  
John merely groans in annoyance "Come on lass, let a fella up."

Buffy merely presses harder on his back causing him to cry out in pain, as he does she grins "Ready to talk yet, Trainspotting?"  
"I'm not Scottish!" Constantine tells her causing her to frown in confusion for a brief moment before forcing more pressure on his back.

His hand slams on the ground before he groans "Don't make me do it." He mutters to himself "I really don't want to do it."

Buffy frowns in confusion only to suddenly find herself getting kicked in the face as Constantine flips himself off the ground sending her crashing against the counter.

She gasps before swinging her knife towards him only for her eyes to widen as the room was now empty.

She glances around madly, where the hell could he have gone. She swings the knife around panicky, something was very wrong here.

Suddenly a hand wraps around her throat and she gasps "Now calm down luv." Constantine says from behind her "I just want to chat."

Buffy growls slightly and grabs his hand forcing it away from her neck before she elbows him in the stomach, she then slams her heel on his toes before finally elbowing him in the face and kicking him in the groyne.

Constantine drops to his knee in agony as he clutches his groyne, he hadn't expected that she was honestly better than he thought. He had thought she was going to be like the last Slayer he met, but instead, this blonde was full of sass.

He chuckles slightly groaning as he does for a moment before slowly crawling over to the couch, as he pulls himself up he smirks at her "So, luv, now that that's out of your system..." He pauses pulling out a cigarette, holding it over his fingers, he clicks his fingers together causing a small flame to appear making Buffy's eyes widen in shock.

Constantine smirks at her shocked expression before continuing to light his cigarette, once he was done he looks over at her "So, I sort of need a favour."

* * *

After finding out from Lance that Laurel had been taken, Oliver waits on the rooftop that he normal meets Laurel on. Hiding in the shadows he watches as Lance enters the roof, he really didn't have the time or patience right now, after listening to that tape Diggle and Harris had gotten he was very close to battering someone.

"If this is another trick, you will not like the consequences." Oliver warns him as he presses on the voice modulator.

Lance turns to The Hood having to push down his pride "I'm not particularly happy right now. I hate you, I hate everything you stand for, but this lunatic has my little girl and left this behind as some kind of kind of ransom note." He says as he raises on of the Hood's arrows with the recording on it.

Oliver stares at the arrow for a moment before groaning "His name is Cyrus Vanch."  
"Geez." Lance breaths "He'll kill her if he doesn't get you."  
"He'll kill her anyway so why come to me?"

Lance takes a deep breath, the truth of it horrifying "It's a pretty tight circle that knows about you and my daughter working together. If Vanch knows, it's because someone at the precinct talked. There isn't anybody else I can trust."

* * *

"Yes!" Buffy exclaims as she pulls herself up so she is standing, it was about damn time, she had been on this couch for over 24 hours and she had been close to ripping out her own hair. Slowly she walks around using the wall for support, she makes her way to the kitchen and grabs the rest of the herbs off the table and rubs them on the wounds on her stomach and her forehead. Luckily these things really were miracle cures.

Slowly as she starts to feel the healing effects take place her phone begins ringing, grabbing it off the counter she frowns at the unfamiliar name "Hello?" She says as she answers the phone.

 _"_ _Miss Summers..."_ Marcus says making Buffy's blood run cold, something was not right here, she could feel it in her bones "Marcus." She hisses out making him chuckle.

 _"_ _How are you feeling?"_ He asks chuckling slightly as he does _"Better I hope...last time I saw you, you weren't in the best position."_

Buffy's nail dig into the wood of the counter before she actually ends up shattering the corner of the counter "No thanks to you, you sick son of a bi—"

 _"_ _Now, now, Miss Summers, that language is not appropriate for a girl of your young age."_

Buffy clenches her jaw she was getting really sick of this conversation "What do you want? Other than a black eye?"

Marcus chuckles _"I told you he owed me a favour."_ He says slyly making Buffy's eyes widen "What did you do?"

 _"_ _Buffy!"_ A familiar voice screams from the background.

"Willow." Buffy breaths in a panic, her breathing picks up, this couldn't be happening, that psycho had her best friend.

 _"_ _Buffy don't come for me it's a trap— "_ Suddenly there is a loud bang and Willow goes silent, she could only assume someone had hit her over the top of the head.

"You touch her again and I swear to God I will end you!" Buffy hisses as she grabs the scythe off the table.

 _"_ _That wasn't me darling..."_ Marcus tells her _"...Mr. Peterson doesn't like it when his food talks. Now Miss Summers..."_ As he speaks Buffy quickly moves over to her laptop to start up the trace search that Willow had set up, hopefully, she could keep him talking long enough for her to find out where they were keeping Willow.

 _"_ _...this is one person you love that we have taken away from you. Let her death be a warning, stay away from our people or else more people you love will die."_

Suddenly the line goes dead and the search freezes, Buffy panics for a brief moment before she notices the area where the search had stopped it was right next to the construction site Marcus and her had battled in the other night.

Standing she ignores all the pain in her system allowing the adrenaline and worry for her friend to take over as she takes off running towards the door completely ignoring her suit.

* * *

Oliver sends a knife towards Lance knocking the gun from his hand "I'm the vigilante." He reminds him "You're the cop."  
He says before glancing over at Lance who had been so close to killing Vanch.

Lance breaths heavily glancing at the Hood before looking at his little girl that had been threatened and held against her will "Doesn't mean I have to read the bastard his rights, though." He says before punching Vanch in the face.

As he does Oliver quickly makes his way out of the window before glancing back watching as Laurel sat there still petrified.

* * *

"Where is she!" Buffy yells as she kicks down the entrance into the construction site, ignoring the sight of the bodies that were still on the upper level.  
Buffy runs into the middle of the construction site, she didn't care that this was a trap, they had taken her best friend and she was going to kill them.

"Come on Ted Bundy, show yourself so I can kick your square ass behind back to hell!"

Slowly out of the corner of her eyes she notices Eric Peterson walk into the construction site with a struggling Willow over his shoulder. He throws the red-head on the ground before tilting his head to look at the blonde "You are prettier than the last Slayer."

Buffy rolls her eyes "Everyone always says that what was wrong with the Slayer before me geez."

"Buffy." Willow says weakly from her place on the floor, Buffy's eyes widen in worry as she spots the bloody wound on Willow's forehead, growling slightly Buffy turns back to Peterson "Hurt me, beat me whatever...but you break my nails or kidnap my best friend and then you die. Painfully slowly...like in the movies only worse."

Peterson chuckles in amusement before clicking his fingers "You're interrupting my dessert." He says as he glances down at Willow his mouth watering slightly.

Buffy and Willow both groan "Ewww."

However before Buffy could do anything else three more men walk into the construction site, great was all she could think, the asshole had brought back up, that was so unfair.

She clenches the scythe tightly before running forwards, time to fight. Flipping over a metal landing she rolls across the floor as she lands and as she comes to her knees right in front of one of the men she swings the scythe swiftly removing one of his legs sending him crashing down to the ground.

She quickly stands and ducks under the blow of the next guard and slices the scythe right through his stomach leaving him in two pieces, she then tosses the scythe watching it spin through the air before the axe half lands right in the next guard's face.

Peterson growls before ripping a metal pole from the scaffolding running towards Buffy he swings it at her but she blocks it with the scythe. Spinning around she swings the scythe attempting to hit him with the axe but he blocks it with the pole and then swings the pole knocking her in the jaw before slamming the pole onto her still injured leg.

"Buffy!" Willow screams as her best friend drops, she stares fearfully as Buffy quickly leaps back up now favouring her other side as the two continued to battle.  
Willow continues to pull at her ropes only for her eyes to widen as she spots one of the guards' dead bodies next to her.

Buffy stumbles as Peterson head butts her in the face, however, she quickly leaps into a side aerial as he approaches her, kicking him in the face as she flips through the air. Once she lands on her feet, she spins around jumping up as she does and swings her leg at him kicking him in the face once again.

Twirling the scythe once again she swings it at his face only for him to block it with the pipe again, she growls before lifting her leg and bringing it down on his knee kicking it harshly she forces him onto his knees.

Once he was down she steps onto his knee and wraps her leg around his neck, spinning herself around him sending him crashing to the ground.

He quickly stands back up making Buffy groan "Don't you things just ever stay down?" She hisses before sliding across the floor on her knees, she swings the scythe cutting through his stomach as she does.

As she stands back up on the other side he merely grins at her making her rolls her eyes however before he could do anything else a loud gunshot goes off as a bullet goes through his brain, blood spattering on Buffy's white sweater as it does.

Buffy stands there for a moment watching as his body collapses on the ground in confusion before finally she spots Willow standing behind him with a gun in her hand.

"Willow." Buffy breaths as she runs over and hugs her best friend who winces slightly.

* * *

After speaking to Diggle regarding his mother and the mysterious Undertaking, Oliver knew that he needed to find out the truth. He needed to know what the Undertaking was.

Crashing through the window of her office he quickly knocks out all her guards before shooting an arrow in her direction, destroying the lamp on her table making her gasp in shock "Moira Queen, you have failed this city."


	14. The Odyssey

When Moira reaches for the phone Oliver releases the arrow from its quiver firing it towards her hand. The arrow buries itself in the table causing Moira to gasp and quickly back away.  
Oliver quickly grabs another arrow and aims the weapon at Moira "Stand still." He orders.  
Moira stands there rigid, she was terrified and her hands were shaking "Please..." She begs stuttering slightly "...don't kill me."

Oliver ignores her, his fury still filling him as he took slow steps towards her "Do you know anything about your husband's disappearance?"  
Moira's eyes widen in shock and her hands fall to her sides "What?"  
"Is Walter Steele still alive?" He yells making her jump slightly.

Moira shakes her head fearfully "I don't know where my husband is. I swear." She breaths as she takes several steps back, trying to keep as much distance between them as she could.

Oliver continues to grow closer to her, he needed to know, he was too lost in his rage and curiosity now to even be bothered by the fact that he was the reason for that terrified look on his mother's face.  
"Do you know anything about the undertaking?" When she starts to reach for something Oliver screams "I said, don't move!"

"I'm a mother." She stutters suddenly as she crouches down on her knees holding up a picture of him and Thea "I have a son, Oliver. A daughter. Her name is Thea. She's just a teenager. Please don't take me from my children. They've lost their father...they can't lose me too. Please, whoever you are, please."

Oliver freezes for a moment, this wasn't just another one of his targets, this was his mother. "Okay." He breaths before slowly lowering his bow and watching her guiltily "I'm not going to hurt you."  
Moira takes a deep breath before suddenly reaching for her safe yanking the gun which was hidden there she points it at The Hood.

Oliver's eyes widen in shock as he spots the gun and before he could do anything she started firing rounds at him.  
Dropping to the ground in an attempt not to get shot he groans slightly as he feels the bullet that had hit him move. He looks down only to spot blood seeping from his suit, he needed help and now.

* * *

"Almost there." Buffy says as she half carries the injured Willow to the car, she winces slightly as she adjusts her hold on Willow, her own leg was still hurt pretty bad and carrying the beat up Willow was making her leg worse, she was worried that she might have pulled it back out of place.

Slowly they make their way into the Queen Consolidated car park where Willow's car was, as they spot Willow's Green station Wagon she breaths in relief, she may hate the car but it had enough space in the back that Willow would be able to lie down, and it wasn't like they could have got a cab, they were both covered in bruises and blood.  
"Why didn't you bring your car?" Willow asks before gasping and grabbing her broken rib.

Buffy sighs as she opens the car door and places Willow in the passenger seat "Was working on adrenaline, didn't exactly think to grab my car."  
Willow nods and lifts herself properly into the seat wincing slightly "I'm sorry, Buffy." She tells her best friend as she climbs into the driver's seat.  
Buffy frowns "Willow, hey never apologise. That man took you because of me, but no matter what some terminator reject does, I will protect you."

Willow smiles at her best friend before squeezing her hand, no matter what they would stick together, they had almost lost each other so many times over the years but no matter what through thick and thin, they were family.  
"Let's get somewhere less camera happy. My kit is in the car, I'll get you fixed up some." Buffy tells her before turning to make sure she wasn't going to reverse into anyone only to gasp as lying in the back seat of the cruiser was The Hood

"What the hell?! What is it with you and the breaking and entering?!"  
The Hood winces slightly "I'm not going to hurt you, Buffy. Either of you."

Buffy freezes for a moment and glanced over at Willow before turning back to the Hood, there was no voice modulator on him this time, she recognised his voice as clear as day "Oliver?"  
Oliver yanks off his Hood and looks at her seriously "I need your help."  
Buffy eyes widen while Willow sits there in shock, Buffy had been right "Everything about you just became so unbelievably clear."

Buffy shakes her head before grabbing her emergency medical kit that was at Oliver's feet, she yanks it open and hands Willow some white cloth "Your forehead. Oh and before I forget you owe me $50." She tells her before turning back to Oliver "I take it hospital is a big no?"  
Oliver nods "Portable doctor like you said."  
Buffy chuckles slightly only to panic when he winces "I need somewhere to work."  
"My father's old..." Oliver takes a gasping breath "...steel factory. Diggle is there..."  
"Tracking Dig's phone now." Willow says as she grabs her phone and her fingers begin flying across the screen.

Buffy groans before starting up the car, "There better not be any blood stains in this car when I fix you." She warns Oliver before speeding out of the car park causing both Willow and Oliver to have to clutch onto their seats for dear life.

* * *

Diggle sits in the foundry waiting for Oliver while listening to the news report, from what he could hear something had gone really wrong.

 _"_ _So far, the police are unwilling to comment, but unsubstantiated eyewitness reports claim that the Starling City vigilante attacked Mrs. Queen in her office earlier today. Alexander Harris, American CEO of The Watcher's Council of England and COO of Queen Consolidated, has confirmed that she was unharmed in the assault."_

Suddenly Diggle's attention is pulled away from the news as he hears a pounding noise from the back door, he grabs his gun and swings around in his seat only to freezes as suddenly the metal door goes flying off its hinges and lands on the ground. Standing above it was Buffy, she had blood all over her white sweater, her left eye was covered in bruises and she was favouring one side more than the other.

She looks over at him and takes a relieved breath "You have no idea how many people I have freaked out doing that tonight."  
Diggle stands there frozen for a second before lowering his gun "How..."  
Buffy doesn't let him finish as she quickly disappears from view only to reappear a moment left half caring Oliver, still in his Hood gear "We have a problem."  
Diggle's eyes widen and he quickly runs over to help only for Buffy to shake her head "Table?"  
"Over there." He tells her gesturing to the corner of the room.  
Buffy nods "My kit is in the car, grab it. Help Willow she got banged up she can't walk properly yet. Quick!"|Diggle frowns in confusion before nodding and heading out to the car. Buffy pulls Oliver up as he continues to drop, she groans throwing his arm over her shoulder and moving forwards dragging his body with her.

Buffy pulls Oliver up as he continues to drop, she groans throwing his arm over her shoulder and moving forwards dragging his body with her.  
Grabbing the table in the corner she pulls it into the middle of the room before laying Oliver on top of it.

Buffy turns her head just as Diggle enters the room with Willow in his arms, he quickly places Willow in the large chair at the desk before running over to Buffy.  
"Get his shirt off." Buffy tells him as she places her emergency kit on the table and opens it up.

Buffy quickly grabs what she needs and moves around Diggle before leaning in close to Oliver to look at bullet wound "Damn..." Buffy breaths before reaching for the white cloth out of her bag, she needed to get the blood out of the way "The bullet just missed the carotid. It's a zone two wound." Buffy breathes before nodding at Diggle.

As he takes over and holds pressure on the wound, Buffy grabs her light out of her bag and opens one of Oliver's eyes flashing the light at his pupil.  
"Come on Oliver." She breaths when there is no response, she groans before looking around the room "Deliberator?"

Diggle nods and quickly heads to the other side of the room to grab it while Buffy goes to try and stop the bleeding "I'm gonna have to get the bullet out...but I need him breathing to do that."

Willow who was sat on the spinning chair by the computer system finally tears her gaze away from the abomination that Oliver was calling his computer system and glances at Diggle "I'm guessing how Oliver got shot is not a question we get to ask?" Willow pauses "I'm guessing the whole how and why are not his favourite questions period."  
"Yeah, well..." Diggle pauses before passing Buffy the equipment while he set up the heart monitor and started hooking Oliver up to it "...there's also the when and the where he's not too fond of."

Buffy groans "He's losing too much blood, tell me you have..." Buffy pauses as Diggle shows her the bag of blood that he was pulling out of the cooler.  
Buffy smirks slightly "That's my boy." She breaths before setting up an IV.  
"I take it he stored up for a rainy day...cause right now it's storming like a bitch."  
As Diggle comes to stand on the other side of Oliver Buffy glances up at him "Do you remember any of your training?"  
"I sewed you up remember?" Diggle points out gesturing to the bullet wound on her shoulder. Buffy shades her head in amusement "Yes because that butterfly stick was lovely." She says sarcastically before turning back to Oliver.

Willow groans at the sight of all the blood "You know I used to play operation as a kid...this is different. It never made me want to throw up."  
Buffy smiles at Willow before turning back to Oliver a worried frown on her face, she may not know him all that well but she would hate to watch him die, he had dedicated his life to helping others despite the risk to himself and she couldn't help but find a kindred spirit within him "Hey Buffy." Diggle breaths as he looks up at her "You're a good medic, you are gonna safe him. He's been through worse than this."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Boston

"6 months!" Buffy exclaims in annoyance as she glares at Constantine who was now smoking a cigarette as he crouched by her floor length windows.  
"6 months!" She yells again "Since Sunnydale went to hell, yet you nut jobs just won't go and get lives...I mean come on!"

Constantine chuckles slightly before turning to the blonde, she was a pretty nutball that was for sure, but she was strong and useful, and he needed her help.  
"Come on, luv..."  
Buffy raises her hand cutting him off "Oh, don't you 'luv' me! You break into my house like some sort of Blues Brother's rip off and try and tell me to calm down! God, I should have let that demon eat you!" She suddenly laughs loudly "God I saved a moron!"

Constantine continues to stare at her as he smokes, he waits a moment before putting out his cigarette and turning to her, he adjusts his jacket before standing and looking at her "Come on pet, I just need a little help."  
Buffy scoffs "The jackass who broke into my apartment wants a favour. Yeah like that's going to happen."  
"It's going to happen." Constantine says confidently before walking into her kitchen where she was stood glaring at him. He reaches into one of her cupboards and grabs a bottle of scotch that Giles had left during his last visit "Nice." He breaths before grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink.

Buffy rolls her eyes before snatching the bottle off of him "Hands off the booze. Now old cryptic dude wanna explain why I'm going to help you...cause I sure as hell can't figure it out."  
Constantine smirks slightly before hopping onto the counter top "Now pet that's a complicated question. But let me put it simply...I need to find something...it's called the Orb of Horus."

Buffy rolls her eyes "And I'm helping you find this orb thingy because...cause trust me the last orb I found did not exactly lead to rainbows and puppies."  
The blonde sorcerer chuckles in amusement, this girl was quite entertaining "Actually you're gonna help me look for the book that will lead me to the Orb etcetera."

Buffy rolls her eyes, she was getting really frustrated and she just wanted to sleep "Explain to me Pink Panther, why would I do that?"  
Constantine smirks slightly, he was really enjoying this back and forth banter, hadn't had a good banter in a few years, no one had been able to keep up with his quick wit "Well Powergirl, I am a sorcerer..." He points out giving a little bow as he does "...So I know things...like how you The Slayer..." He says dramatically "...just love to help people. You honestly are quite sickening, you just can't help yourself. But that's beside the point. You see I can place a little spell on that scythe of yours..." He points out causing her eyes to widen.  
He smirks slightly, he definitely had her attention now.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"There we go..." Buffy says successfully as she pulls out the bullet from Oliver's shoulder and dumps it in the metal bowl next to the table.  
Reaching for the needle and thread she glances over at Diggle "I take it he won't want to keep it as a Christmas decoration." She jokes as she places the needle through Oliver's flesh after dosing the needle in alcohol. She glances over at the machine next to her that was monitoring Oliver's heart rate and sighs in relief, she had managed to get the bullet out without killing him, so, so far that was a good sign.

She glances down only to groan at the sight of her white sweater "Why do I even bother wearing white." She says to herself before glancing over at Diggle who was placing a bandage on Willow's forehead "His heart rate is elevated." She tells him as she continues to sew up the wound "But at least the bleeding has stopped. For now." Buffy pauses and glances over at her best friend with a worried frown "How you feeling Will?"

"Dizzy." Willow mumbled as the effect of the painkillers start to kick in before she looks over at Oliver "You know I always wondered if I'd react the same way to my boss being shot as to how I reacted when our second principal got eaten...it's not the same." While Diggle frowns in confusion Willow pouts "I'm never gonna get the blood out of my car."

Diggle chuckles slightly before glancing over at Buffy who had finally finished sewing up Oliver and was now removing her gloves and starting to put away her equipment "You know I was thinking all this would be more of a shock."

Willow chuckles in amusement while Buffy scoffs before moving over to the line up of arrows and watching them curiously before picking up one "We actually had a bet going. Willow said Oliver wasn't the Hood but she doesn't know you very well...I knew you were bluffing the minute I asked you about the Hood. Ergo I just made 50 bucks."  
Willow glares at her before shaking her head in amusement and turning to Diggle "Oliver brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes and had me trace a black arrow and research into armoured car heists. I should have realised sooner, I just didn't want to admit I was gonna lose the bet."

Diggle laughs slightly, finding the amusement in the fact that somehow despite everything Buffy had managed to make this screwed up situation into a game for fun. He pauses however as his attention is brought back to both her and Willow's injuries, Buffy technically should still be in bed after her fight and Willow hadn't been banged up last time he had seen her. Obviously, something very wrong had gone down, something that had almost gotten the two of them killed.

"What happened to the two of you anyway?" He asks curiously with a worried frown.  
Buffy sighs before leaning against the wall while Willow twirls in the chair, looking way too much at home. "Marcus..." Buffy says softly "...he's..."  
"The man that almost killed you." Diggle breaths as he stands and moves over to his best friend "Buffy..." He starts only for her to cut him off, she knew what he was going to say, she knew he was worried, he always was.  
"Look...one of his..." She pauses trying to figure out how to explain what had happened without bringing in too much supernatural stuff "...associates kidnapped Willow."  
"It's true." Willow says from the computers where she was now playing with the equipment "He doesn't like what we're up to." She says only to immediately slap her forehead.  
Diggle frowns before turning back to Buffy "And what is that?"

Buffy sighs "Look it has to do with the list the Watcher's Council gave me. Marcus and his people don't like that I've been looking into it, their starting to threaten people I love. He had one of his associates Eric Peterson...that's the guy that killed all those people at the construction site...he sent him to kidnap Willow. I went after them. No one touches my family."

Willow looks up from the computer and smiles at Buffy who smiles back, Diggle sighs however, he was so worried, whoever these people were they were bad news.  
Buffy sighs as she notices the look on Diggle's face, she looks over at Willow for help who quickly spins in the chair and turns to face Diggle "So what do you guys do down here?" She asks curiously "Other than come up with crappy cover stories."  
Diggle shakes his head, he knew what they were both doing, but decided not to push it, it was clear Buffy wasn't ready to discuss this, so, for now, he would wait till she was ready "Yeah, Oliver's excuses are not the best."  
Willow scoffs, that was an understatement "Wasn't he planning to ask Buffy to do a test on a vial of pretend hangover cure?" She asks laughing slightly as she does.

Buffy smirks slightly and crosses her arms, she was rather curious about that herself "Yeah, the vial that made me use hospital resources. What happened with that Vertigo anyway?"  
"We took down The Count with that analysis." Diggle tells Buffy causing Willow's eyes to widen "That was you and Oliver?" the redhead asks.

Diggle nods "And Buffy...without her, we would never have found it. Just like with all those other objects he brought you Willow. Helped us stop bad people."  
Buffy takes a deep breath before glancing at her best friend as he moves to sit beside Oliver's bedside "Why come to us?"  
Diggle smiles slightly as he glances back at Buffy "You've been doing this a lot longer than him Buff...you realised something he hasn't admitted yet. That sometimes you need help."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

"Mud." Buffy says slightly disgusted as she glances down at her boots which were now covered in dirt and mud, she groans she really hated that she had agreed to this.  
"Mud, and dust and trees." She mutters before glaring over at Constantine who was walking ahead of her "Remind me why I agreed to this?"

Constantine chuckles in amusement before glancing back at the blonde Slayer "Come on darling, you lived in Sunnydale this is nothing."  
"Yes Sunnydale, Sunny being the imperative word. Warn sunny and dry, not cold muddy and wet."  
As he laughs Buffy rolls her eyes, this guy was really getting on her nerves and quick, she was gonna end up hitting him over the head before the day was over.

They continue to walk in silence before finally, they stop right in front of a large tree, Buffy frowns before glancing over at Constantine, it looked like this is where he had intended for them to go.  
"Great." Buffy says with a sigh "A big tree. Can't wait to tell my friends. They've never seen a tree this big." She says sarcastically before glancing over at sorcerer.  
When Constantine just glares at her she rolls her eyes, "Look can we just speed this along, I have class.."

The blonde male chuckles before grabbing a book out of his jacket and turning to the tree "Yes." He says to her not looking away from the tree "You do go to school, don't you. Top of your class. I looked into you, you're smart, although that seems to be a new thing..." Buffy glares at him while he merely continues while flipping through the pages of the book "...You know your teachers seem to think you come finish early especially if you do the training program with the military."

Buffy's eyes widen, no one knew about that, hell she had only just found out last week that she was in consideration for it, she hadn't even had time to process it herself let alone tell anyone else. "How the hell did you know about that?"  
"I'm a nosy git." He says with a shrug before slamming the book shut and turning back to the tree.  
"Clearly." Buffy mutters before she sighs she hadn't exactly been filled in on a lot of what was going on and it was driving her insane.  
"So how are we supposed to get this damn book?"  
"Well..." Constantine says as he places a hand on the tree "A demon has the book that will lead me to the Orb."  
"And this orb thing is..." She asks hoping for an answer but knowing it was very unlikely she was going to get one.

"Somewhere in the North China Sea. That's all I know. So you and I are going in here..." He says gesturing to the tree before turning back to her "To get said book."  
Buffy frowns in confusion, this guy really was a nutcase, he had led her to the middle of the forest and now they were standing staring at a damn tree.

Suddenly, however, the tree starts to spilt into two, cutting down the middle as it separates. Buffy's eyes widen at the sight before her, inside the tree was now a market "What the..."  
"Welcome to one of the many Hell dimensions Bunny."  
Buffy stares in shock only to freeze as suddenly two large demons come busting out of the doorway. "Oh, crap."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"Dammit!" Buffy yells as she runs over to Oliver where he was currently having a seizure.  
"What's happening?" Willow asks as Diggle and Buffy work to help Oliver.  
Buffy looks over at the heart monitor and panics "He's spiking." Buffy hisses before moving to hold Oliver down.

Diggle panics for a brief second before looking over at Willow "There's a syringe labelled Ativan. It should stop the seizure."  
Willow nods and quickly wheels over to the draws and grabs the needle.

"Dammit." Buffy exclaims again as Oliver's heart rate continues to sky rocket before suddenly the line goes flat.  
"No." She breaths before turning to Diggle "Get me that deliberator! Now!" She orders before she climbs up onto the table, due to her height she couldn't do CPR properly from being stood beside him, so she climbs on top of Oliver and begins doing compressions to his chest "Come on."

"Diggle!" Buffy yells hoping he would speed it up, she glances back at him as he continued to try and set up the machine, walking around her as she continued to try and keep Oliver's heart beating.  
"How old is that thing?" Buffy asks him as she stares at the old fashioned machine.  
"Is that even going to work?" Willow asks from her chair beside the two of them.

"We're about to find out." He tells her as he grabs the pads and begins charging them, he hands them to Buffy who quickly places them on Oliver's chest "Clear!"  
Buffy freezes when nothing happens "No." She breaths before glancing at Willow "Will..."  
"On it." Willow says as she wheels over to the machine while Buffy goes back to doing compressions.  
"I heard the charge. That's good news." Willow tells Diggle as she moves over to the wiring system while Diggle takes the pads off Buffy.

Buffy glances over at Willow before turning back to Oliver, they were losing him "Come on." She mutters before she leans down and presses her lips to his forcing air into his lungs. As she pulls away she quickly goes back to compressions "One...two...three..." Buffy sighs before leaning back down and continuing mouth to mouth "Come on Oliver." She breaths as she sits back up.

"It might be the wiring." Willow tells Diggle as she yanks out a set of pliers from the top drawer and starts moving around the wiring systems.  
"Come on. Come on. Come on." Diggle mutters as he watches Buffy continue to try and keep Oliver breathing while they waited on Willow.  
"Should be working now." Willow tells him.

Diggle nods and moves over to Oliver with the pads, Buffy grabs them and places them on Oliver's chest "Clear!" She yells as the first shock goes through Oliver.  
She glances over at the machine and still, there was no change, pressing the pads against his chest again she turns to Willow "Clear!"  
The charge goes through Oliver causing his body to surge upwards.  
As his body drops back down on the table Buffy glances over at the heart monitor and breaths a sigh of relief as Oliver's heart beats.  
"Thank God." She mutters before climbing off him.

Diggle leans on the table relieved, that had been a close call "What the hell did you do?" He asks as he turns to Willow.  
"I've been using computers for years. Rebuilding them, hacking into government files etcetera. Wires are wires." Willow takes a deep breath before glancing over at Buffy "So what do we do now?"

Buffy takes a deep breath before moving to lean against the table, the wound on her leg had reopened and was now bleeding.  
Diggle helps the blonde while grabbing some bandages "Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves." Dig tells her before tapping Buffy's good leg and beginning to bandage up her bad one.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Unknown Location

"This is your fault." Buffy hisses as she pulls at the chains keeping her pinned to the wall while Constantine laid on the ground with his hands chained to a pipe.  
"How is this my bloody fault!" Constantine hisses as he pulls at the chains effortlessly.  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Um...let's see, the demon who you've been looking for, who you've been asking every demon left right and centre about, is the one that took us at the border. Yes, I'm gonna go with your fault on this."

Constantine opens his mouth to argue only to groan in annoyance, she was actually right, it's not like he had been that subtle in his search.  
When he closes his mouth Buffy smiles, she had one that round of banter, however, her smile quickly disappears as the large demon walks into the room. She hadn't really gotten a good look at him before but he actually sort of looked like a big hulking tree. Literally, his arms and legs were made out of branches which he could move around the room. Buffy sighs knowing that Xander would most probably tell her he's like some comic book characters, at the thought she realizes how much she misses her friends in England.

Sighing sadly she glances over at Constantine who was now glaring at the tree demon.  
 _"_ _Bodjnsoh wropeda Constantine."_ The demon growls making Buffy frown in confusion "What'd he say?"  
Constantine groans "That he's going to rip my organs out."  
Buffy winces at the thought, the idea of it was disgusting alone, she didn't exactly want to experience seeing the real thing live.  
She watches the creature in fascination only to frown in confusion and panic as instead of going towards Constantine the creature moves towards her "Hey!" She yells at Constantine "Why is he coming near me?! I thought he wanted you gone!"  
"Perhaps he changed his mind."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

Buffy was swinging around one of the bo-staff's in the corner of the room when she hears the heart monitor starts to go crazy. Dropping the bo-staff she runs over to Oliver "He's going into cardiac arrest again." Buffy tells Diggle as he moves to prepare the deliberator, Willow frowns and limps over only to smile as she stops the issue "No need." She tells them "The lead's just came loose." She smiles slightly before fixing the lead while both Buffy and Diggle sigh.

Buffy groans in annoyance "You need updated equipment."  
Diggle sighs loudly "Ahh, it's less stressful when he's jumping off roof tops."  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement only to have Diggle glare at her "You're no help in that stress department you know."  
Buffy winces and raises her hands in defense before backing away slowly "Sorry Dig."

Willow shakes her head in amusement before she spots Oliver's bow in the corner of the room "Huh, his bow..." She says as she stops next to Buffy who had picked up the bow and one of his arrows "...his bow has put arrows in quite a few people." Willow says as she watches Buffy pull back the string before firing an arrow into the centre of one of the wall targets.

"Bad people." Diggle argues before smirking as he watches Buffy easily use Oliver's weapon "Don't let him see you do that..." Dig tells her "...it will make him self conscious."  
Buffy smiles before putting down the bow and moving to sit next to her friend.  
Willow frowns slightly, it bothered her, the idea of killing people, yes she wasn't exactly innocent in that department, she had killed but she had never forgiven herself and had promised to never do it again, yet Oliver did it on a daily basis.  
"Does it bother you? Because—and I mean this is a good way, you seem like the kind of guy it would bother."

Diggle glances at Buffy who looks away from a moment, as the blonde turns away Willow's eyes widen, she hadn't even realized that her words may hit a nerve with the Slayer "Buffy..." She says hesitantly only for the blonde to cut her off.  
"It's fine Will. But I can't exactly judge given my history. I've done what Oliver's doing and a lot worse than what he's done."  
Diggle places a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving it a sweet squeeze before glancing over at the curious yet guilt riddled Willow "When I was in Afghanistan, our unit..." He says gesturing to Buffy "...was tasked with protecting this local, warlord..."

"Gholem Qadir." Buffy finishes before turning to look at Diggle a broken look on her face, she remembered that mission so vividly, remembered the effect it had had on Dig.  
Willow frowns in confusion, she had only seen that look on Buffy's face once before, so it was clear that what ever had happened in Afghanistan had been bad "Who was he?"

"He was less than human." Diggle tells her "He sold opium, sold children. One day, we were accompanying him to Mazul when our convoy was ambushed by insurgents. We had them outgunned. The fire fight didn't last more than a minute. When the smoke cleared, I moved in on their position..." Diggle pauses for a moment lost in the memory and the guilt "...they were all dead. I knew which one I killed. When I pulled off his kafei, he was just a kid, no more than 18. I shot him in throat."

Buffy takes a shaky breath and grabs Diggle's hand gripping it tightly, she remembered that day, and how much it had crushed him. Leaning her head on his shoulder she sighs "John, that wasn't your fault..."  
"Yeah it was Buff." He tells her as he kisses the top of her head before glancing over at Willow "I killed this kid to protect this human piece of garbage, and I thought am I still good? Am I still a good man?"  
Buffy sits up and looks at him sadly she places a hand on his cheek and watches him carefully as he closes his eyes and leans into her palm, letting the emotions cross over his face for a moment.

"You're a good man, John Diggle." She tells him before hugging him, she understood now why he was doing this, he wanted to feel good and stopping these people with Oliver was making him feel good.  
"If this is what you need to do to believe that yourself..." She says as she pulls away and smiles up at him "...then do it."

Willow frowns as she watches the unspoken conversation between the two, honestly sometimes John and Buffy were more brother and sister than anything else, Buffy could trust him with things that she couldn't with herself or Xander, which sucked but she was happy for her.

"And that's worth all the collateral damage?" She asks suddenly  
"Willow." Buffy hisses as she glances over at her.  
Diggle turns to the red-head "I haven't killed any one, if that is what you're asking."  
"But he has." Willow argues as she glances over at Oliver.  
"So have I." Buffy tells her, drawing her best friend's attention "There are always casualties when you're fighting a war."

Five Years Ago - Unknown Location

"Would you hurry it up along luv?" Constantine baggers as he pulls at the hand cuffs before glancing over at Buffy who had just done a back flip using the chains she was still attached to, allowing her to kick the demon in the face.  
Buffy growls slightly, this idiot was seriously having a go at her for not speeding up in rescuing him when he was the one that put them in this situation "I swear to God if you don't shut up—" Buffy is cut off as a gasp of pain escapes her as the demon punches her in the gut.

The anger quickly rises and she raises her legs kicking the demon in the stomach sending him flying backwards. As he crashes into a bookcase Buffy quickly attempts to get the chains out of the wall.  
"Come on, come on blondie!" Constantine tells her as he looks over to spot the demon standing.  
Buffy turns and glares at him "I'm chained to a wall, you have fire powers!" She yells "Use them!"  
"Can't exactly do that here, luv. That hulking tree friend of ours doesn't like it when I come to visit so puts up precautions."

Buffy's eyes widen at that, he had not mentioned that he had previous encounters with the demon, hissing in pain slightly she ignores the blood dripping down from her wrists and yanks on the chains tearing them from the wall violently.  
She takes a deep breath before turning and glaring at the British sorcerer "You know this thing!"  
Constantine merely shrugs "Did I forget to mention that?"  
Buffy growls slightly before she strolls over to him, yanking the handcuff off his wrist she then grabs him forcing him to stand "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

Constantine rolls his eyes for a second, she was being very dramatic in his opinion, before he could say anything, however, something catches the corner of his eyes "Distract." He tells her before he dives out of the way just as the massive demon runs at Buffy throwing her through the wall.

Buffy groans as her back connects with wooden staircase, as her body falls to the ground, she groans slightly, she really hadn't pictured today going this way. It was supposed to be simple, help the jackass and he helps her, this wasn't supposed to be happening.

Sighing slightly, she glances into the other room where the trench wearing blonde lunatic was currently riffling through the bookshelf. Her eyes widen as she spots the demon moving in on him, groaning slightly she clenches her jaw before running forward and grabbing onto the door frame she swings her body forward kicking the demon in the back, as he stumbles back her body swings back before she lets go of the wood and allows herself to drop back onto her feet.

"Crap." She mutters as she watches the giant demon turn back to her, it's focus now completely on her "Oh I'm gonna die." She mutters to herself before ducking underneath the demon's arm as he swings it at her.  
She drops to her knees and swings her leg out at him knocking him off his feet however within a mere second he was back up and he grabs her by the shoulders and slams her up against the bookcase.  
She groans as her some of the broken wood digs into her back but quickly recomposes herself only for Constantine's voice to pipe in "Try to cause a little less damage, luv." He tells her before going back to searching.  
Buffy stares at him astonished only for the demon to wrap an arm around her neck trying to chock her, she gasps slightly but pushes against the bookshelf causing them both to go crashing to the ground.

As it's release on her loosens Buffy gasps loudly before she glares over at Constantine "Oh, I'm sorry, how about you fight the big hulking tree!" She yells sarcastically before flipping back onto her feet only for the demon to release several branches which wrap around her legs, it yanks her backwards causing her to crash face first on the ground painfully.

Buffy groans slightly as blood drips from her nose, she struggles slightly as she feels the branches continue to wrap around her. She gasps slightly as she feels the branches begin to cut off her circulation, just as her vision begins to blur she spots the scythe near her only an arm's reach away.

Using all of her strength she turns her self over and kicks the demon in the leg as it approaches her, as it stumbles it's hold on her loosens, ripping herself free, she flips herself back up and leaps up sending a powerful kick to his stomach.  
Quickly she rolls across the ground and grabs the scythe just in time to block his arm as he attempts to grab her again.

Jumping up she swings the scythe at him slicing it right through his arm, as it howls in pain she flips into a side aerial kicking him in the face, she then drops to the ground and spins on her knees, swinging the scythe as she does she removes both of his legs before she stands.  
Pinning the creature down with her feet she smirks "Bye bye Groot." She hisses before swinging the scythe once more removing his head.  
"Groot?" A voice says from behind her.

Buffy takes a deep breath and rolls her head back, this pain in the ass was still here, she had almost forgotten, five minutes without him speaking had been complete heaven.  
"It's a comic book, never live with a nerd." She tells him before she turns to face him "Did you get it?"  
Constantine smirks before raising the book towards her "Oh yeah."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"How are you even doing that?" Willow asks from below in the chair that she had dubbed her own while Buffy climbed onto the top level of Oliver's salamander ladder.  
Buffy merely chuckles "It's fun." She says before releasing her hands allowing herself to drop to the ground landing perfectly like a cat.  
Willow smiles before clapping her hands "10 out of 10."

Buffy smiles back before walking over to her friend and bending down in front of her "How's your leg?" She asks with a worried frown, seeing Willow like that, hurt, beaten down, it was something she never wanted to see again, not if she could help it.  
"Buffy, you can't always protect me." Willow tells her best friend, she sighs knowing Buffy was worried, she always would be.

"Buffy!" Diggle calls from the other side of the room making Buffy's head instantly spin around to face him.  
Standing she quickly squeezes Willow's hand before making her way over to Dig who was know standing over a very conscious Oliver.

Oliver turns his head and watches as Buffy and Diggle approach him, he lays there silent for a moment before sighing "I guess I didn't die. Again." While Buffy laughs in amusement Diggle shakes his head in disbelief, one of these days he really was gonna just kill Oliver "Cool."

* * *

"Fancy." Oliver says as he glances at the neatly sewn wound on his chest, maybe going to a paramedic had actually been a good idea, she saved his life and the scar wouldn't be too bad, but still, it was another scar to explain.

"I don't do ugly sewage when it comes to wounds." Buffy tells him as she stands by the knife collection only to earn a glare out of him when he spots her about to pick one up.  
She raises her hands in defence before climbing up onto the table to sit down.

Oliver sighs before glancing at the wound once more "So how am I going to explain this one?" He asks Diggle.  
Diggle chuckles and glances at Buffy who was now sat beside him "Hickey gone wrong?"  
Buffy thinks for a moment "Oh what about...an experimentation into the same sex."

Oliver glares at the two of them, having the two of them together all the time in here could and would likely drive him insane "Neither of you are helping."  
"We're not trying to." Buffy tells him with a smile.  
Oliver sighs before moving to put the blanket back over him only to wince in pain slightly as he does Buffy frowns and quickly moves to her bag.

Grabbing out some morphine she makes her way over to him, as she grabs one of her needles and prepares it he watches her intently, he still was a little unsure about her, he couldn't get a read on her, which just made him that much more intrigued.

"Give me your arm." She tells him only for him to look at her sceptically.

Buffy sighs "Oliver, I just cut a bullet out of you and did CPR to keep you alive, do you really think I'm gonna kill you with a needle." When he still doesn't hand her his arm, she places her hand on his and looks at him seriously "Trust me." She tells him softly.  
Oliver watches her for a long moment before he slowly hands her his arm wincing slightly as he does.  
She smiles at him before quickly injecting the small does of morphine into his system.

"Police collected a sample of your blood at Queen Consolidated." Willow says from behind them where she was currently playing with the computer system.  
Oliver, Diggle and Buffy move over to the red head as her fingers continue to fly over the computer keys "I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed." She says before smirking slightly "Oops." She whispers to herself before spinning in her chair to face the three soldiers.  
Her eyes immediately widen as she spots the look on Oliver's face "I hope it's all right."  
Buffy merely shakes her head in amusement, Will just couldn't help herself.

"Your system looked like it was from the '80's, and not the good part of the '80's like Madonna and legwarmers."  
Buffy arches a brow at that "Wil...legwarmers?"  
"Okay, that's bad." She agrees only for Oliver to clear his throat drawing the attention of the two women.  
"That's a lot of work." He says as they both turn to him "Does that mean you're in?"

Buffy coughs slightly, of all things she had been expecting him to say that had not been one of them. He actually wanted them to join forces, they couldn't, they wouldn't.  
She shakes her head before looking at him seriously "What? Join? As in your crusade causing I take it you're not asking us to join your rock band."  
Oliver turns to the blonde "Well, you're both practically honorary members of the team already."  
"So Dig said." Buffy pauses and glances over at Diggle who had a knowing expression on his face, he knew why she couldn't she had her own mission, one far more dangerous which needed all of her attention.

"No." Buffy tells Oliver shocking him.  
Oliver takes a step closer to the blonde, he was shocked, to say the least, she had saved his life and Diggle was her best friend, yet she didn't want to help them, it didn't make any sense "Why?"  
"I can't." She tells him honestly "Dig knows why."

"I want to find Walter." A voice says from behind Buffy, making the blonde's eyes widen in shock. She turns to face Willow a shocked expression on her face, Willow wanted to stay she could see it in her expression "Will..." Buffy starts only for Willow to cut her off.  
"I want to find Walter, Buffy." Willow tells her before she slowly stands using the chair to support her. Once she was sure she wouldn't topple over she focuses on Oliver "He was nice to me, and Xander is worried about him. Plus Mr Diggle told me that the notebook you use to fight crime is the same notebook that got Walter abducted. I'll help you rescue him, but that's it."

"Willow..." Buffy tries again, she didn't want her friend involved in this, she could get hurt again, it was bad enough that her bein involved in the Watcher's Council had almost gotten her killed but what if she was out there with The Hood and got hurt.

Willow looks at her best friend hoping that she would understand, she had to do this, had to help Walter, even if it meant not helping the Watcher's Council at the moment.  
Slowly Willow turns back to Oliver "That's my offer."  
Oliver stays silent for a moment before nodding "Ok."  
Willow takes a relived breathe "So I've been meaning to ask, is there a bathroom? Because I've had to pee since I got  
here."  
Oliver smiles slightly "It's upstairs to the left." He tells her before moving out of the way allowing her to pass by him.

Buffy merely stands there for a moment, she may understand why Willow was willing to do this but it still shocked and worried her. Taking a deep breath she turns back to Oliver "If she stays, I'll help..." She tells him, however when she spots the smirk coming on his face she raises her hand stopping it before it could take form "Uh-huh, no. I will help...with wounds etcetera. I'd feel real guilty if you died." She shakes her head before sighing "Get that smirk off your face." She orders as she walks past him to follow Willow.

Oliver shakes his head in amusement and despite her protests, he does smirk slightly, "Buffy..." He says drawing her attention, as she turns back to face him he holds out his hand towards her "Thank you."  
Buffy stares at his hand sceptically before taking his hand and shaking it, slowly she releases his hand before moving upstairs to make sure Willow was alright.

Diggle watches his best friend climb up the stairs before he turns to face Oliver, he was worried Buffy and Willow were already in danger against the organization they were fighting for the Watcher's Council, bringing them into this was just more danger "Oliver, Buffy is all I have and Willow is one of the only people she has, and I know you don't wanna hurt them and you didn't have any choice in telling them who you really are but..." Diggle sighs trying to think of how to explain this without breaking his promise to Buffy "...you saw the state they were in. Willow's seriously hurt and Buff has cuts and bruises all over her. They are all ready involved in something pretty dangerous involving them just adds more to their pile."  
"We can protect them." Oliver argues.

"How? Your mother just shot you, Oliver." Diggle points out "You can't even keep yourself straight. Buffy is strong enough but she can't be everywhere at once, and neither can you."  
Oliver sighs, it was bad enough that his mother had shot him he really didn't need a reminder "She was scared. She was defending herself." He argues not wanting to get back into the argument they had yet to finish.  
"or..." Diggle starts "...she was hiding something, like maybe her involvement In Walter's disappearance or worse."  
"Diggle, we don't always know why people do what they do, but what I do know is that when I was standing in her office with an arrow aimed at her heart, she begged me to spare her on behalf of me and Thea. Now I've taken down a lot of bad people, none of them brought up their kids, Dig."

Diggle sighs, as much as Oliver wanted to believe what he was saying it didn't argue with the facts "Oliver, she had the list. Now, she may not be in charge of whatever it is, but she's definitely involved."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

Buffy watches as Constantine leads her back out of the forest away from the entrance to the Hell Dimension. Slowly she pushes branches out of the way as they continue to come into her path, slicing through them with the scythe.  
"Tell me you got the right book." Buffy says as she glances at the blonde male as he continues to flip through the book that they had stolen.

Constantine smirks slightly before showing her the page he had stopped on, on the page showed an image of the Orb that he had been looking for "About bloody time." He mummers to himself before lowering the book and quickly placing it inside his jacket for safety, he really couldn't risk losing this book otherwise there would be no way of knowing where in the North China Sea this book was.

Buffy smiles slightly as annoying as the man was it was nice to work with him, he actually kind of reminded her a bit of Spike, only more of the pre chip Spike then anything else.  
"Thanks for all your help, luv." He tells her honestly as he pushes his sleeves up before glancing at the scythe on her back "I'm a man of my word, hand it over."

Buffy hesitates for a moment, she never really let anyone other than a few of the other Slayers touch the scythe, it was precious to her, it had literally become a part of her.  
But what he had promised to do would help her in the future, help her protect the world and her friends and her sister, and that was something that she would always do, if this could help her do then she had to do it.

Slowly she takes the scythe out of it's holder and holds it towards Constantine, the sorcerer stares at the object for a moment before smiling, he could sense the power coming off it. As he takes it in his hands he could feel it too, the heavenly power that it had been blessed with.  
Slowly raises a hand over it he closes his eyes and covers the scythe in a blue glow _"Bar ziddi har torikī va ʙad. Bar ziddi dahşati osmonī va devhoi. Bigzor qudrat dar osmon ʙoznatavonad cī az çahannam xud."_

Slowly the glow disappears and Constantine merely stands there for a moment before tossing the scythe back at the blonde "There. No matter what, a creature of hell cannot touch that scythe of yours without being burnt by the heavenly power inside it. If they hold it too long...let's just say it won't be pretty."

Buffy catches the scythe and glances down at it, this could be pretty cool, plus it would mean that she would be able to tell if someone was a demon a lot easier.  
"Thank you." She tells him honestly.  
The blonde man merely smirks "Oh no thank you...it's taken me a long time to get this close to that orb."

Buffy shakes her head in amusement before looking at him seriously "Oh, by the way, leave me to die again I will kick your ass."  
"Point taken." He tells her before giving her a little bow "Seriously consider that program in Afghanistan, there are things coming in the coming months, it will be a nice escape. I'll be seeing you soon princess."  
And with those final words, he merely disappeared before Buffy's eyes leaving her alone in the forest.

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

"Wait for me in the car." Buffy tells Willow as they come back down the stairs where Oliver was now stood alone in the empty room, Diggle was gone.  
"Fine but I'm driving, you still drive like a crazy person." Willow argues before moving to the exit, she waves at Oliver before leaving the room, leaving the Slayer and the Hood alone.  
Walking towards him Buffy grazes her hand over the salamander ladder as she does, "I have one too you know."  
Oliver chuckles in amusement "For a woman who keeps Sais underneath a coffee table that doesn't surprise me."

Buffy lets out a small breath before she smiles, she remembered that night quite well "I did kind of whoop your ass huh?" She teases as she walks over to him.  
Oliver arches a brow "No."  
Buffy laughs slightly "You know you could have just asked for my help, the whole breaking and entering...a little pink panthery if you ask me."  
Oliver smiles slightly, she was probably right in that department but before he could say anything she speaks seriously cutting him off and making him focus on her.

Buffy takes a deep breath and looks up at the man seriously, she knew what he was doing, she understood his crusade, but this was Willow's life and protecting her was what mattered most.

"Oliver...she's my tech...my best friend..." Buffy takes another breath, this was difficult for her, she didn't do this very often, allow her emotions to show so much and it was even rarer for her to do it in front of a man who wasn't Diggle or Xander and hell Xander had barely seen it in five years.

"I don't have a lot of people in my life I care about..." She tells him honestly making him stare at her with a caring gaze as she continued "...she is one of the few people in this world who doesn't make me wanna turn off every emotion...she keeps me floating. So let me make something clear, I will train with you, fix you up when your hurt, hell I will do field work for you if needed but she...never goes out there, she is never put in any situations that could harm one hair on her head because...she is too good to die...and I can't...I can't survive without her...Oliver let me make something very clear and I know this sounds horrible but if anything happens to her...I will kill you..." She tells him honestly as her voice goes hard and her jaw line straightens, in that moment the look in her eyes made it very clear to him that she was very much serious, this girl really meant that much to her.

"I understand." He tells her "I'll protect her."  
"Good." She tells him "Just so you know, your training area a lot nicer than mine, so I will be here...keeping an eye on you. I wanna trust you Oliver, but her life matters a hell of a lot more to me than my own."  
Oliver blinks at that, he had never seen her like this, so emotional yet so well contained about it at the same time, it was like he was when it came to Thea "Buffy, I promise you...I will do everything I can to keep her safe."

* * *

"So..." Willow says cheerfully as Buffy climbs into the car "...how'd it go?"  
Buffy merely glances at her as she closes the door, Willow really did seem to be fascinated by her relationship with Oliver "We made a deal." She tells her best friend honestly before looking at her seriously her worry for her being very evident in her expression "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

Willow sighs, she understood why Buffy was so hesitant but for her own mindset she needed to do this, she needed to help find Walter and maybe this time working with Oliver could allow her to help more people.

"I need to do this, Buffy. You don't have to worry about me...you'll get wrinkles." She teases causing Buffy to tap her arm slightly before smiling slightly.  
Buffy leans back in her chair before groaning, "What am I going to do without you?"  
"You have Xander." Willow argues knowing that she was talking about their mission however as the words leave her lips Willow shakes her head "You need help."

Buffy nods in agreement, she loved Xander, but he wasn't the best with tech plus he got distracted too easy, anyway his work at Queen Consolidated was more important at the moment.  
"I'm gonna need a new tech."  
As the words leave the blonde slayer's mouth an idea comes to Willow's head, she had the perfect candidate in mind, slowly a smirk covers her face "I may have an idea."


	15. The Dodger - Part 1

Buffy sits on the couch watching as Xander drags in the clear board and began writing all over it before grabbing red tape and linking up several images and words that he had written.  
Buffy arches a brow as she stares at the new crime board which was taking up a large space in their living room "Okay." She says slowly still confused as to why Xander had made her sit her for so long.

Xander turns to her, his hair slightly wild, it was clear that he hadn't slept all night working on this, he runs a hand through his hair before chugging the rest of his coffee. Once he was done he turns to her and points at the Wolfram And Hart symbol on the board "Okay...so according to Giles, Wolfram and Hart are back hiding in the shadows not as big as they were 5 Years Ago."  
Xander pauses and follows the red tape that was leading from Wolfram and Hart to the photo of China White on the other side of the board "So because W and H are big on the outs with the press they can't do a lot. So they pay people to do their dirty work. Like China White."

Buffy nods as she listens before leaning onto her knees "And China white" She says as she stands and drags a red piece of material over to the The Triad "Works with the Triad relocating all the demons who were turned to look human by W & H all over Starling City..."  
Buffy pauses for a moment, they knew what they were up to but they still had no idea why, or what the endgame was.

Buffy sighs and grabs a pen before drawing a question mark in the middle of the board she then begins linking up all the drawings of Marcus, China White as well as Wolfram and Hart to the question mark "Question is...why."

Xander sighs before the two of them step back and stare at the board, they were missing something, some plan or person, something had to explain why Wolfram and Hart needed so desperately to turn their demons into humans.

 _"_ _The Dodger has struck again with a rare jewel being stolen—"_

Both Buffy and Xander's attentions are brought to the television in the corner showing the police cutting off access to the museum.  
"Who's The Dodger?" Buffy asks as she glances at the television before turning back to Xander.  
"High profile jewel thief."  
"Huh...that's very..."

Xander chuckles they had gone from talking about demons and vampires to talking about a jewel thief "Pedestrian, isn't it awesome."  
"I don't think awesome is the right word there Xand."  
Xander merely shrugs and continues to watch the news, Buffy on the other hand quickly spots the time and sighs, Willow would be at the Hood's man cave now.

Quickly grabbing her training gear she taps Xander on the back "We'll figure it out." She assures him as she catches him staring at the board again.  
He smiles at her before frowning as he catches her holding her workout gear "What? Where?"  
"Willow's with The Hood in his bat cave."

Xander clears his throat and clenches his jaw slightly, it was very easy to see that he was jealous that Willow was the one chilling with the vigilante and Buffy had an open invitation to train with him.  
As Buffy heads for the door he coughs nervously "So what did you say the Hood guy's name was again?"  
Buffy chuckles before grabbing her keys and turning to face him "I didn't."

Xander groans in annoyance, this was so unfair, both Buffy and Willow knew who he was but he didn't how was this fair? He was being left out "Come on, we're the three musketeers, not the two awesome kids and the vigilante weirdo."  
When Buffy merely arches a brow Xander sighs loudly "Please tell me!"  
Buffy chuckles "Can't Xand. Dig is keeping my secret from the Hood the least I can do is keep the Hood's."  
As she heads out the door Xander groans "Oh come on!"

* * *

Buffy catches Oliver's ankle as he swings his leg at her, he tries to take it back but frowns when he finds himself unable to.  
She giggles playfully before kicking him in the thigh, as he groans in pain she raises her other leg kicking it out to the side, kicking Diggle in the jaw as he approaches her.

Forcing Oliver's leg back down to the ground she leaps into the air before doing a spinning kick, kicking both Oliver and Diggle in the face.  
Diggle crashes onto the floor painfully and Willow who was sat in her chair by the computer's winces.

"I'm out." Diggle says to Buffy who chuckles before turning to Oliver who was smirking at her.

Willow glances over at Dig as he comes to stand next to her "10 on Buffy?" She asks hopefully.  
Diggle merely laughs "Girl, I ain't nuts." When she pouts he chuckles, he knew there was no point betting, as fun as this will be to watch, Buffy was going to win, it wasn't that Oliver wasn't a good fighter, but Buffy had 12 years of experience with 6 different forms of martial arts...oh and she has super strength, not that she's showing that off right now.

Buffy chuckles as her and Oliver continue to circle each other, both with their hands raised.  
Oliver smiles slightly, he was even more impressed with her than before "How long can you keep up?"  
Buffy smiles at the teasing "Alright Hood..." She says smirking slightly before stepping forward and punching him in the nose, trying not to use too much of her strength as she does "...let's see who the badass is now."

Oliver groans slightly before continuing to circle her, she was good, but there was no way he was gonna let her beat him...again.  
He steps forward throwing a punch but she sees it, blocking his arm she shoves it away before swinging her left elbow towards his face.

He blocks the blow and then ducks under her leg as she leaps up and spins her leg towards him.  
Coming up behind her she smiles slightly as he raises his hands again challenging her, "You're fast." She says with a small smirk before she jumps up bringing her leg forward however he slams her leg down.

As he does she steps into it and grabs his arm holding it in place while attempts to knee him in the stomach.  
To her surprise he blocks it before smirking, Buffy opens her mouth in shock before smirking right back, grabbing the back of his head with both arms she turns them both only for him to force her arms apart and grab her.

Buffy's eyes widen when he attempts to throw her over his shoulder, straightening her legs she allows herself to roll over his back before landing straight back on her feet opposite him.

Oliver chuckles, this was much more enjoyable than sparing with Dig, she was giving it her all, as was he, yet they seemed equally matched. But at the same time it was fun, she was turning it into a game, which was something he had rarely seen, but was really enjoying, it made him feel like a 27 year old again.

He steps forward and goes to throw another hit but she steps to the side before throwing her fist out towards him.  
Spotting his opening Oliver grabs her waist and steps around her pinning her back against his bare chest, when she attempts to elbow him in the face he quickly grabs her elbow using majority of his strength to stop it from connecting with his face.

Buffy smirks slightly as she turns her head to look him in the eye, now noticing how close their faces were "Okay I'm impressed."  
"I could say the same."  
Buffy laughs before twirling out of his hold, she then steps forward and pressing her foot on his knee wraps her other leg around his neck before twirling her body around using the leg still wrapping around his neck to bring him to the ground.

As he hits the matt Buffy stands over him and merely smiles.

Oliver lets out a breath of air before chuckling, she truly was the best fighter he had ever seen, and that was saying something considering the amount of fighters he had met in his lifetime.  
He takes her hand as she offers to help him up and once he stands he chuckles "Who knew the army trained that well, clearly it didn't work on Dig."

Diggle rolls his eyes "Buff's been training since she was 15 hell she was kicking the ass of the General on her first day."

"Buffy." Willow says as she tosses Buffy her hospital buzzer, Buffy groans as she catches the shaking buzzer, looking at it she frowns "There was a bus crash in the Glades." She says before throwing a shirt over her sports bra and grabbing her purple leather jacket "I gotta go." She gives Willow a hug before kissing Dig's cheek "Bye guys." She says giving the three of them a wave and running up the stairs and heading out.

Willow smiles slightly before turning to her computer as she does she catches a curious look on Oliver's face, she frowns slightly before shaking her head and turning back to her computer.

"So who is the lucky guy tonight?" Diggle asks as Oliver grabs his shirt off the chair in the corner before wincing slightly, rubbing his jaw he chuckles, Diggle had been right the girl did pack quite a punch.  
"Ken Williams." Oliver tells them as Willow quickly types up the name into the different databases that she had set up closing up the open ones about Walter's disappearance she had on the screens.  
"His pyramid schemes stole millions." Oliver tells the two "People didn't just lose their homes, their lives were ruined. Why don't you two call it in early tonight...I'm not expecting much trouble..."

As he speaks Willow blocks him out slightly, she was reading a file about Williams, her face falls, this man was a person, he wasn't a demon or a vampire or an evil lawyer, he was a human person, a human man with a son.  
Glancing down at the file her eyes widen at the dating site, he was a single father, a widow who was finally opening up to letting someone into his life again.

She takes a deep breath, she couldn't let Oliver just kill this man if he didn't agree to Oliver's demands. She had taken life before and she refused to even be involved with it like this, she couldn't help make a ten year old boy an orphan.  
She hesitates for a moment as she notices Oliver now completely in his suit with bow in hand, and heading towards the exit.  
Letting her fingers slid across the keypad she locks the door keeping him in.

"Willow!" He yells only a moment later making her jump in her seat, she curses she could not have been more obvious "...Did you just—"  
Willow turns in her chair and cuts him off and he comes to stand opposite her looking very pissed off "Computer override your lock?" She asks before shrugging "No of course not. Why—why would I do that?" When he glares at her she smiles "Maybe a tiny and we're speaking atom particle size, little bit."

Oliver sighs, he didn't have time for this "What are you doing?"

"I pulled some information on Mr. Williams." She argues hoping that he would see her case in all this "Did you know that he's a widowed father of a 10-year-old boy?" When Oliver doesn't seem to understand her Willow sighs "I told you, I made this deal and left the work I was doing with Buffy to help find Walter, I have seen a lot of people die Oliver. I've had my hand dipped so far in the darkness I didn't think I'd escape but...I did and I will not be an accessory to orphaning little kids."

Diggle who was stood behind Willow's desk couldn't help but smile, for once he didn't have to be the voice of reason, he didn't have to be Oliver's only moral steel in this situation.  
Oliver sighs as he glances as Diggle, it was clear that the bodyguard wasn't going to help in this argument, groaning, he clenches his jaw before focusing back on the red-head "I'm just giving him a warning."

Willow rubs her head, he had the ability to help so many people yet he refused to stray from this list, he was just as stubborn as Buffy in that regard.  
She remembered when Buffy had come home and said that she was only going to focus on her list, while she had her day job at the hospital helping people Buffy had been hesitant about using her powers for anything other than the list, deep down Willow hoped that Buffy would change her mind, but she could never be sure.  
Oliver on the other hand, maybe that was someone she could convince "Has it ever occurred to you, you could so some real good in the city. Beyond just recovering peoples stock portfolios and their saving accounts?"

Oliver merely stares at her before leaning over Willow and unlocking the door through the computer "You're not the only one who knows how to reboot my system."  
Willow clenches her jaw, she couldn't understand this, she shakes her head, she shouldn't have done this, Buffy and Xander could help her find Walter, she didn't need Oliver "I made a mistake."  
"I don't disagree." He says not understanding her true meaning.  
She rolls her eyes before standing and stepping around him "Agreeing to help you. Buffy was right...this was a mistake."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

Buffy taps her pen against the notebook as she stares at the demonstration in front of her, glancing over at the clock she sighs, as much as she loved her class she really just wanted to sleep. The test they had the other day had really wiped her, she had been studying night and day for weeks and she had another test next week, which she was already stressing about.

She was just exhausted all the time, from Slaying and studying to her job to worrying about Dawn and the other Slayers, it felt like there were five different Buffy's all pulling at her for her attention.

"Alright..." Dr Owens says as she turns to the students drawing Buffy's attention away from her doodling.  
"...pick up your results from the table on your way out." Owens says before moving behind her desk.

Buffy sighs in relief hoping to get a few hours sleep at her apartment before work, gathering her stuff she climbs out of her seat and heads down the stairs towards the desk.  
As she shoves her books into her bag she waits in the line to get her results, finally as she reaches the desk Dr Owens hands her the results.

Before Buffy could say anything Owens smiles at her "Very impressive Miss Summers...keep it up." She says giving Buffy a warm smile.  
Buffy smiles and takes her paper, she frowns hopefully that meant she had done well.  
Closing her eyes for a brief moment of nervousness she quickly shakes herself before peaking at the results.

"Oh my God." She breaths before covering her mouth as a gasp of joy fell from her lips, a score of 98 which basically meant a total Willow result...A.  
"I did it."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City 

Xander walks around Moira's office at the Queen mansion for a moment taking in the different surroundings, in all honesty he was trying to see if their were any cameras.  
He walks over to the lamp and frowns, there was a small object sticking out of it, bending down that's when he spots it, the camera was pointed at her desk, "Looks like she doesn't trust me."

He shrugs she probably shouldn't, reaching into his pocket he grabs his phone and opens up the device Willow had set up. It was something she designed years ago when they broke into a bank being run by demons, it was a mixture of magic and science, it would play a clip of Xander walking around the office into the camera with them having to loop the footage or use an EMP.

Once it was set up he slips out of the office and makes his way downstairs, he quickly hides behind the wall next to the stairs as he spots Moira talking to a man in a suit.

 _"_ Is this because of what happened to Walter?" Xander hears the man ask.  
Xander peeks behind the wall and spots Moira shaking her head "With Walter, with Robert. Last week the vigilante nearly made my children orphans. I've reached my limit, Frank."

Frank makes his way around the room clearly processing all of the information before turning back to Moira "That's a lot to confine in me, Moira."  
"Robert did. I know he reached out to you whether I was supposed to know it or not. He had misgivings. He sought you out because he knew you did too."

Xander frowns in confusion he really had no idea what any of this meant, seriously Diggle so owed him for this.

"But then he was murdered." Frank tells Moira drawing Xander's attention back to them "And that should be a cautionary tale for both of us."  
"Yes, I know. And I've gone along with this for as long as I can stomach it. We started this to fix the Glades, Frank."

Xander's eyes widen, he was about to find out the truth however suddenly he spots Thea moving around the house, cursing Xander quickly makes his way back up stairs and into the office.

* * *

"It couldn't have been that bad." Buffy says with a small laugh as she adjusts her phone against her ear so she could slip on her uniform.  
 _"_ _Oh it was insane. I'm done Buffy...Oliver...I have never met a more stubborn, idiotic, self..."_

Buffy couldn't help but shake her head in amusement as she pulls on her work jacket, Willow was doing her normal thing, complaining about something before she inevitably decided to get back to it, like with her past three jobs.  
"Will—" Buffy tries only for the red head to cut her off, clearly she wasn't done with the ranting.

 _"_ _I mean all I ask is for him to consider it before he goes Terminator on the guy...he's a single dad Buffy I just...I can't do it Buff, be involved with someone like that. Who sees it as so black and white."_

Buffy sighs and leans against her locker, a little unsure of what to say in this situation, while she understood Oliver's point of view in this, she also saw Willow's point, these weren't demons they were humans, people with families and friends who would be crushed by the loss.  
"Give them a chance." Buffy tells her after a moment "Help him see a better way."  
 _"_ _Thanks Buffy."_

Buffy smiles sweetly before hanging up phone before groaning she forgot to ask Willow about this new tech gal, she was going after one of her targets tonight and it would have been nice to have the backup, she sighs Xander should be able to deal with the basic computer stuff for now, but if she needed doors unlocked or alarms and camera's switched off, then she might be a bit screwed.

She throws her bag in her locker before focusing, she would think about her target later right now she had to get through the next 8 hours, luckily it was a short shift today, doing any more doubles this week would cause her hair to start falling out.

"Hey blondie." A voice says from behind her making her smile, he always sounded so smug, turning towards him she arches a brow at him before shaking her head in amusement "Heya nija warrior."  
Dean chuckles before walking over to her and kissing her softly, Buffy leans up into the kiss and smiles before pulling away "So what's the what?" She says when she spots his nervous frown.

Dean chuckles for a moment, to say he was nervous was an understatement, he wasn't exactly good at stuff like this "Actually...my brother's in town. And—um...he's been bugging me about you for months, so I was wondering..."

Buffy's eyes widen and she feels herself panic slightly, she didn't know what to say here, she wasn't good at this, she was messed up, and right now she wanted to go running "Um...I..."  
Luckily for her sanity her phone starts ringing causing her to sigh in relief as she spots Xander's name on the screen, she looks over at Dean apologetically "It's Xander..."  
Dean nods defeated "It's fine." He says awkwardly as the room fills with an uncomfortable silence "Just...think about it. I have to get to surgery, but I'll see you later."

Buffy nods and watches him make a hasty exit from the room, she sighs she had never meant for this to go so far, to get too attached that wasn't who she was, she didn't get attached to people, not anymore.  
She runs a hand through her hair before answering the phone hoping Xander had a job for her, she really needed to pumble something.

* * *

"Well..." Oliver says with a chipper voice as they walk into Willow's empty office at Queen Consolidated "...maybe we should come back later."

Diggle sighs, Oliver had been avoiding this all day, he just needed to learn to grow up and swallow his fried "No. Maybe we should wait, Oliver. This is really serious. Two things..." Diggle crosses his arms and glares at Oliver "...one: If your attitude costs me Buffy because Willow tells her how you treated her I will hit you and two: What if her next wave of conscience leads her right to the police." He knew it was unlikely especially with her involvement in Buffy's work but Oliver needed to know that his actions had consequences.

Oliver shakes his head "You won't lose Buffy...and Willow...she won't go to the police. I know. I had to make the same calculations when you found out about me."  
Diggle scoffs slightly, he wasn't particularly alright with that little detail "Hm, hum, and what would you have done if you were wrong and I decided to make a call to Detective Lance?"

Oliver who was now stood by Willow's desk looks up, his face avoid of emotion, this was no joke now, he was completely serious "I would have put an arrow in you." He says as turns to Diggle.  
Diggle lets out a small amused breath "Ha!" When Oliver merely raises an eyebrow Diggle frowns, he couldn't actually be serious could he? "But really—really you really would have done that?"

When Oliver remains silent Diggle opens his mouth prepared to give him a full on lecture only for Willow to walk into the room with a large dusty book in her hands.

She looks over at Oliver and scoffs "Hm." She says with a sigh as she circle around the room so that she could sit back down at her desk "You know, normally I would pat myself on the back for predicting that you would show up here so quickly, but it was so obvious that I'm actually a little disappointed. I was hoping for some form of a surprise, like an apology cake, or...anything really other than groveling."

Oliver sighs and walks over to her desk and smiles kindly at her "I won't be groveling but...I was hoping to convince you to change your mind."  
"Nope." Willow says sweetly before resting her chin in her hands as she looks up at him "Keep trying, this is entertaining."

Oliver groans slightly while Diggle stifles a chuckle, Oliver glares at him before turning back to the redhead "Willow, I was worked up on adrenaline last night after training with Buffy and...I didn't exactly put my best foot forward. I was hoping you'd give me the opportunity to do that now."

Willow thinks for a moment, she may still not be okay with a lot of this but...if she could help someone then she'd do it "Start with Ken Williams. He didn't enjoy that adrenaline last night as well did he..." Willow pauses as the fact of how dirty that sounded registered in her head "That sounds very wrong."

Oliver clenches his jaw and ignores the comment "He returned the money that he stole just in time to put his son to bed. Like I said, Willow, just a warning."

 _"_ _...our efforts with Interpol as the Dodger operates primarily in Europe."_ The three of them here the police officer say over the news drawing their attention to Willow's computer screen _"And they have advised to warn the public that he is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous."  
_ Diggle turns to the two of them "I know this guy, they called him the Dodger because he avoids getting his hands dirty. He uses hostages to do his stealing for him."  
Oliver frowns in confusion, he had never heard of something like that, it took real smarts to be able to manipulate people to do his bidding for them "How?"  
"Puts a bomb collar around their necks. Last year a guy in Madrid didn't deal what the Dodger told him to and it took his head off—literally."

Willow's eyes widen, this guy was seriously dangerous, she needed to call Buffy, despite Buffy's protect against stepping back into the hero roll she knew that the blonde could not resist helping people in danger, especially those forced to do things against their own will.

She glances over at Diggle and she knew that he was thinking the exact same thing as her however surprisingly Oliver noticed the glance between the two and turned to Willow offering her a deal "You know...I don't always stick to the list. Every once in a while I make an expectation, hostage taking jewel thief, for example. So why don't you help us take him down?"

Willow slowly lowers her phone and glances at Oliver before arching a brow, he clearly wanted her help enough to do as she wished, slowly an idea occurs to her, now may be her chance to convince Buffy to rejoin this world and allow people in to help her.

* * *

Buffy pulls her long hair into a high ponytail on the top of her head as she stands on the roof of the bank, after Marcus had used her hair to swing her around like a raggedy Anne doll she'd rather keep it out of her way for a while.

Pulling her mask over her face she flattens down her suit before glancing from the skylight, this was one of the most high profile demons they had gone after and it would be on of their difficult there were motions censors and high pressure alarms all over the bank, but this demon was the manager of the bank and had a hidden office down by the vaults.

As carefully as she can she snaps the lock on the skylight before tapping her earpiece "Xander I'm going in."  
 _"_ _Got it Buff."_

Buffy rolls her shoulders before hooking up her wires to the skylight, she needed to make sure she could get in and out as quick as possible.  
Making sure she was hooked up to the wires properly she carefully climbs into the skylight before beginning to lower herself into the bank "Security camera?" She whispers, she had gone this long without being discovered, she really didn't want to be on the police's next witch-hunt.

 _"_ _EMP was set off, they will be down for the next 30 minutes unless you trigger an alarm. The motion censors below you will trigger the alarm if touched."  
_ Buffy groans "Great." She mutters under her breath as she glances down at the red lasers below her, this was not going to be fun.

As she hovers just above the ground she twirls her body so that she can lower herself into a handstand. Being careful of the lasers Buffy slowly takes a deep breath and raises her right hand keeping her waist balanced on her left. Reaching up she releases herself from the wire leaving it to dangle before lowering her hand again.

She stretches her legs out so that they were in a side split positions and then slowly leans to her left allowing her foot to land in the small hole between several lasers, carefully bring her body over following her footing she takes a deep breath as she notices her face was right by one of the lasers.

She looks for another hole in the maze of lasers and sighs in relief when she spots one, but it was in an awkward position.

She carefully bends down placing one hand on the ground by her feet, she then places her other hand in the tiny hole behind her, taking a deep breath she pushes her body backwards into the air leaving her into another handstand but this time she had to keep her legs bent at an awkward bent angle to keep from hitting the lasers, slowly she walks through the small holes in the maze on her hands trying to get close to this larger gap.

She grunts slightly, her body was aching and sore from this and it felt like it was never going to end, seriously she was going to kill the person that created motion censor lasers.  
Finally she reached the gap in the maze and sighed in relief, she turns her body slightly before doing three back flips and once she lands she was out in the clear.  
"All good. Find me those vaults Xand."  
 _"_ _On it."_

Buffy listens to the sound of keys clattering on the computer before she glances around the room, she moves down the hall however as she steps onto the white tiles they dip slightly and suddenly a blazing alarm fills the room.  
Buffy's eyes widen in panic "Xander!"  
 _"_ _I don't know Buffy, they must have more traps them we thought."  
_ Buffy groans in panic as she hears the sound of steal footsteps running towards her "Xander."  
 _"_ _Buffy, I can't stop the alarms you need to get out of there!"_

Buffy clenches her jaw before running back towards the wires, she runs as fast as she can and quickly leaps up and grabs onto the wire before climbing up it.

Just as the demon she had been looking for runs into the hall with a bunch of human guards Buffy closes the skylight and rolls across the roof out of sight.  
She lays there on her back for a moment and stares at the sky above her, that had not got well, she couldn't do this without Willow, Xander was good at strategy but when it came to things like tech not so much.

"I really need a new tech." She moans cursing Oliver in her mind for taking her original.

* * *

"I really need that new tech." Buffy tells Willow as they walk towards Big Belly to meet Oliver and Diggle "Willow, last night was bad, I can beat demons, hell I do that for fun but...me and lasers and alarms we're not simpatico."  
Willow nods in understand, a part of her felt really bad for leaving Buffy and Xander hanging like that but she had to find Walter and Buffy was still so focused on her own mission that she was trying to block out anything else to avoid guilt over not helping them.  
"I'll take you to meet Felicity tomorrow. I promise."

Buffy sighs, she still wasn't sure about this, letting someone else in on her secret, letting someone into this world, it would be opening this girl up to all types of risks and she wasn't exactly big with the trust at the moment.  
Buffy sighs before frowning as they walk into Big Belly Burger, it occurs to her as they walk over to the table that she hadn't asked Willow why she was being dragged here "Um...wanna explain why I have to be here?"

Willow smiles slightly "Well, you said you wanted to keep an eye on what we were doing, plus you know you said you'd do undercover work and fieldwork so I thought..."  
Buffy sighs she knew what Willow was doing, trying to remind her of who she had been, the person who had been a hero, who had helped so many people.  
But that wasn't her anymore and the red head just refused to except that, but then again she didn't know majority of the things Buffy had done in her time away from the group. After she had left the UK 5 years ago a lot had happened a lot none of them were aware of.

"Will..."  
"Hi guys." Willow says loudly as they approach Oliver and Diggle, cutting Buffy off before she could make an excuse to leave.  
Oliver and Diggle turn to the girls and Oliver frowns at the sight of a clearly unhappy Buffy "What are you doing here?"

"Ask PippyLongstocking." Buffy grumbles as she pushes Diggle to move up so she can seat beside him, and before he can stop her she grabs his coffee.

Willow smiles successfully, her aim was to bring their two teams together, all of them working together they could do so much good, she just needed to get past Buffy's issues with trust, because clearly she didn't trust Oliver and she was too worried about letting more people into her work.  
"So." Buffy says as she glances over at Oliver "The Dodger huh? Not a rip of Vince Vague?"

When Oliver frowns Buffy scoffs "You were here when that movie came out!"  
Oliver sighs, sometimes it was like she never took anything seriously "So..." He says clearly ignoring her statement which Diggle was chuckling at "...to catch this guy we need either to figure out where he is or where he's going to be."

Buffy chuckles slightly at this, they were discussing the plan to get a villain while eating burgers "So, Big Bad talks normally happen over burger and fries? Or is this just so Dig can gawk over Carly."  
Diggle glares at his best friend "Not gawking."  
"Totally gawking."

Diggle sighs and glances at Oliver who shrugs, he was not getting involved with this weird sibling type relationship the two of them had, he'd rather keep all of his limbs.  
Diggle continues to glare at her only to smile as he spots Carly walking over to them, she places a large plate of fries in front of Buffy and a banana milkshake in front of Willow.  
Buffy grins at her friend, she always knew when she was in desperate need for fries "Marry me."  
"You keep asking. My answer is still the same. Ask me in a year." Carly says with a chuckle before sighing as she hears the loud yelling from the corner of the room.  
Buffy frowns "What is it?"

Carly sighs in frustration, it was clear from her expression that she really hated this job "I'm waiting on a bunch of particularly rowdy customers."  
Buffy thinks for a moment before kicking Dig's knee he glares at her but when he spots her narrowed expression he gulps slightly, he would never admit it, but sometimes when she wanted to she could be pretty damn scary, he turns back to Carly and smiles "You want me to handle that?"  
Carly smiles at him "I appreciate it, but I'm a pro by now."  
"I'll be here if you need me."

Carly smiles once more before heading back to work as she does Buffy turns to Diggle "So Casanova that's not gawking huh?"  
Willow smirks slightly and clicks her tongue at him "She's gawking right back."  
"AH..." Diggle moans, he really did not want to talk about this "...can we get back to crime fighting, please?"  
"Actually..." Oliver says as he joins into the conversation, clearly agreeing with the girls "...you should probably ask her out."

Buffy smirks slightly and nods in agreement "The Boy's right."  
Diggle chuckles and turns to Buffy "You don't get to start...not till you agree to meet Dean's brother."  
Buffy glares at him "I hate you."  
"No you don't."  
"Well I violently dislike you."  
"Nope."

Buffy groans slightly while Oliver frowns in confusion, neither of them had mentioned a Dean before. Willow noticing his confusion leans over to him "Buffy's sort of boyfriend, who freaked her out asking her to meet his family."

Oliver frowns slightly, wondering why Dig had never mentioned it before, he turns to glance at Buffy feeling an unfamiliar uncomfortable pit in his stomach. He shock his head before clearing his throat "So back to the case..."  
"Thank you." Buffy says cheerfully as she glances at Oliver.

Diggle chuckles before glancing at Oliver "Please you just hope I don't start on you and McKenna."  
"Oh." Willow says with a smirk as she glances at Oliver "The detective on the Dodger case. You have a thing for her?"  
Oliver shakes his head only for Diggle to speak "Yes."  
Oliver turns to Diggle and stares at him flatly, if he wanted to play it this way he would play "I don't see you asking Carly out."  
Diggle watches Oliver for a moment before pursing his lips, he then stands and makes his way over to Carly while Buffy laughs "Bout damn time."

"Buffy." Oliver says drawing her and Willow's attention away from Diggle and back to him "This guy is targeting a very specific type of jewel. We figure out why and that'll give us the how to catch him."

Willow thinks for a moment as an idea comes to her "I may have a little idea. Your crush with the badge says they are working with Interpol."  
Oliver nods, it was clear he wasn't going to like wherever this was going "Yeah."  
"Why don't I work up a little tech, you distract her with a little flirty-flirt, she said tech onto her phone, it'll turn into a micro transmitter and, boom, we'll learn everything she knows"  
Buffy frowns "I didn't get a word of that hawking."  
Willow chuckles knowing that Buffy was playing her typical dumb blonde but in reality she was smarter than most.

Oliver merely tilts his head at the red head, he was right he didn't like this at all "It's not typically how I get my information."  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Shooting someone with an arrow and putting the fear of God into them doesn't always work Legolas. Some people, specifically women, prefer to be romanced for information. And then there are the weird ones who get off on the torture but that's a whole other bag of bones."

Oliver chuckles slightly at the blonde before clenching his jaw "Fine. I'll try your way." He tells Willow before all three of them go back to spying on the nervous Diggle who was still trying to find the words to ask Carly out.

* * *

"You'll like her." Willow tells Buffy as the walk through Queen Consolidated towards Felicity's office which was right beside Willows.  
When Buffy looks at her skeptically Willow sighs "I promise."  
"Willow." Buffy says dryly "I don't like anyone."  
Willow smiles and wraps an arm around Buffy's shoulder "You like me." She points out.

Buffy smiles slightly and just as they knock on Felicity's door Buffy turns to Willow "Are you sure we can trust her with this?"  
Willow takes a deep breath and turns to her "Look I know you don't want to do this, but you need it. Even the Three Musketeers brought in a fourth member."  
"That movie was terrible." Buffy points out.  
"That's not the point."

Buffy groans slightly but follows the red head into the office as they walk in Buffy spots a young woman maybe two years younger than herself with blonde hair facing away from them typing incredibly fast at one of her computers.  
"Hey Felicity." Willow says happily "I want you to meet—"

As Felicity turns to face them Buffy's eyes widen, there was no way this was possible yet here she was, this couldn't be happening "Liz?"  
Felicity adjusts her glasses before staring at shock at the blonde "BB?"

Willow frowns in confusion as the two blonde's stare at each other, how did they know each other "What am I missing?"

Felicity stands and quickly circles the table hugging Buffy who freezes as the unexpected contact "We thought you were dead."  
"Alive and kicking." Buffy tells her as Felicity finally releases her.  
Willow raises her hand "Me confused."

Buffy swallows the lump in her throat before turning to Willow "She's my cousin Will."  
Willow stares in shock and quickly glances in-between the two, there was a sense of similarity there, they both speak and babble the same, there eyes and looks were similar plus they had that brain and brawn sense going on.

"Cool."


	16. The Dodger - Part 2

Thea watches in shock as Laurel runs after the kid in the red hood who had just stolen her purse, she hesitates for a moment before running after her.  
The two of them chase after the robber and manage to catch up to him as he finds himself trapped when he takes a wrong turn and ends up faced with a fence.

"Give us the purse and we won't press any charges." Laurel says strongly as she slowly steps towards him making sure to keep her guard up.  
The young man merely glares at them before climbing up the fence and disappearing out of the alley.

"You're right." Thea says with a groan "I really do feel lucky." She mutters sarcastically as Laurel walks over to the fence and pulls a silver chain off the top.  
"This got snagged as he wilted over the fence." Laurel tells the Queen girl "Looks like a chain from his wallet."

* * *

Oliver watches as McKenna quickly heads into the backroom of the precinct, he waits till she is out of sight before glancing around the station, making sure no one was focusing on him he steps closer to her desk and quickly grabs her phone and plugs in the device that Willow had designed. Just as he places it back down McKenna walks back over and smiles at him.

He takes a deep breath before looking at her with a nervous smile "It was nice seeing you the last time I saw you."  
McKenna smiles "Yeah. It's good seeing you, too. It was like old times." She pauses for a moment as memories of what they actually used to do together fill her mind "Except the PG version."

Oliver smiles at her, he was enjoying this "How do you mean?"  
"Well, you and I always knew how to have a fun time." She shrugs before a look of stress fills her expression "Something that's been missing from my life lately."`  
"How about a drink?"

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

"Well done Miss Summers." Doctor Owens tells Buffy as he hands her back her latest paper. She smiles at him and moves to exit the room however his next words make her pause "Buffy...can you stay for a moment?"  
Buffy frowns in worry, what had she done, she hadn't blown up any buildings she hadn't questioned any of her teachers, so what was it.

She waits for a few minutes watching as the rest of her class begins pilling out of the room, once the room was empty Buffy moves back over to her professor who was no leant against his desk.

"You're smarter than you let people know." Owens tells her as he raises her file "You've had a troubled past."

Buffy groans as the sight of the familiar large file, maybe she had been too hopefully to believe that that had been destroyed during her high school graduation "Yeah...a little troubled."  
Owens chuckles before tossing the file on the table "I don't care. I spent time in juvie so I'm not one to judge."

Buffy chuckles, this was a first a teacher that actually understood her, and was willing to give her a second chance "You didn't burn down a building." She points out with a huff.  
Owens smiles "Depends who you ask." He shakes her head before picking up another piece of paper "You're a natural at this. You've been here what 2 months? And you are one of the most impressive students I've ever had."

Buffy stares shocked of all the ways she had expected this conversation to go, this really was not one of them "Thank you." She says quietly a little unsure of what to say.  
"I recommended you for the Military training program." He tells her shocking her "One student every year gets chosen to go to Afghanistan and train with a field medic, you gain more experience than you would here." He tells her watching her reaction closely.

Buffy stares stunned to silence, this was an amazing opportunity, this was all she could have ever wanted, to save lives, to save those who are trying to save others. But it was on the other side of the planet, there would be no contact with her family and friends.  
"Thank you, Dr."  
Owens chuckles "Don't thank me yet. The runners of the program get tones of recommendations from each attending. It will be a few months but...I think you've got a good chance. Now go along before you miss your next class."

Buffy nods and quickly heads out the room as she walks around the corner she lets out a shocked breath, this was insane, not only was she doing well in school but she had actually impressed her teacher. But despite still not knowing if she would take this opportunity even if she did get it, which was very unlikely, she was excited.  
Deciding that she needed to tell someone she grabs her phone and quickly calls someone she hadn't heard from in a while.

 _"_ _Hey, Buffy."_ Dawn says happily as she answers the phone.  
"Hey, Dawn. I've got some stuff to tell you."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"So you two are cousins?" Willow asks for the third time as she paces Felicity's office staring at the two blondes as they sit side by side in front of her.  
Willow watches the two of them, there were the odd similarities and the fact that they both had a habit of rolling their eyes, she really should have seen this sooner, but Buffy had always said that her mom and Dawn were her only family.

Willow frowns at Buffy "How did I not know this? You tell me everything. You do right?"

Buffy hesitates the latter was a question she didn't particularly want to answer so instead she shrugged "Look my mom had a younger half sister, they weren't close me and Liz only met a few times." Buffy then gives Willow a pointed look "And I was kind of dealing with a lot of drama when I was a teenager so forgot to mention it."

Felicity sighs, this was not the Buffy she remembered, the last time they had seen each other it's when Buffy had been 16 and she had been 14, and they had only seen each other for a few days, but since then nothing. After Joyce had died and Sunnydale was destroyed they had never been able to get back in contact with Buffy and Dawn.

At the thought of Sunnydale Felicity's eyes widen "Your town blew up. Like it literally blew up, how—that is insane."  
Buffy sighs "Preaching to the choir Hun."  
Willow merely continues to stare at them "This is scary creepy it's like there is two of you."  
"We're very different." Both Buffy and Felicity say at the same time causing Willow's eyes to widen.

* * *

After an awkward and slightly uncomfortable yet abrupt end to their date Oliver watches as McKenna quickly makes her way out of the restaurant Oliver grabs his phone calling Willow, when she answers he doesn't even give her a moment to breath "Willow. Listen please, I need you to activate the bug in McKenna's phone. I think the police just got a lead on the Dodger."

* * *

After Willow had to run off for _'work'_ Buffy sat across from her cousin as the pizza joint across the street from Queen Consolidated.

As they eat Buffy tries and fails at small talk, this was weird for her, she had gone so long being without talking to this side of her family that being around Felicity after everything that had happened was nerve-wracking "So...Aunt Donna still crazy?"

Felicity chuckles slightly as she thinks of her mother, that woman really was a challenge "You have no idea."  
Buffy smiles slightly before reaching for another slice of pizza, despite the fact that this was a little awkward it was kind of nice, just a normal meal between family. Distant family but still.

Felicity frowns slightly as she watches her cousin, there was something different about her, the BB she remembered was light and open but this woman, she was darker, more closed off, it was obvious that a lot had changed. But that didn't matter to her, Buffy was one of her only family members left and now that she had found her, nothing was going to scare her off. "Willow mentioned that you needed my help with something."

Buffy takes a deep breath trying to imagine how she was going to explain this world to Felicity, if she was going to ask her to be involved then she couldn't hold anything back "I need to show you. Because you might not believe me."  
Felicity frowns "How bad can it be?"

* * *

Oliver releases his arrow as he spots the Dodger running out of the building where McKenna had just ambushed his deal.  
The arrow flies by the Dodger's face, clearly a warning shot.  
The man freezes and turns to Oliver who was still stood on the roof, Oliver frowns there was no fear or even worry on his face.  
"Come quietly."  
The Dodger merely smiles "I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

"Then I'm afraid you won't be going to jail." Oliver hisses as he raises another arrow intent on taking him out.  
His eyes widen for a brief moment as the Dodger steps out of the way of the arrow allowing it to crash into the wall behind him.

Oliver growls slightly before running forward he jumps across the roof landing on the next building before sliding down the drain pipe.

He spots the Dodger still crouched down behind the large dustbin and raises his bow prepared to end the man however suddenly something crashes beside him causing a loud explosion to go off sending him crashing to the ground.

* * *

"Okay so don't freak out." Buffy tells Felicity as she leads her into her apartment. She shakes her hands before rubbing them together, she was a little nervous, the last time a member of her family had seen her use her powers it had been her mother...and that hadn't exactly ended well.

Felicity frowns in confusion and adjusts her glasses, Buffy had not really explained what she was going to show her, only that it was slightly insane.  
"I won't." She promises.

Buffy nods before taking Felicity's arm and leading her towards the gym, as they step inside Felicity's eyes widen, there were medieval weapons lined along the walls as well as what looked like a rocket launcher "Are you a weapons dealer?" She asks as she walks over to the karambit knifes only to flinch away at how sharp they were "This isn't exactly insane." Felicity tells her cousin "Weird yes, I mean you are a medic, so it's a bit weird for you to be a weapons dealer...do you not make enough money at the hospital?"

As Felicity begins to babble Buffy groans and pulls off her shirt leaving her in a sports bra, exposing her scars.

Felicity freezes at the sight of her cousin's scars, her eyes widen in horror, there were so many of them, some looked like bullet wounds, there was a large knife slice across Buffy's hip bone as well as a burn mark on the other side of her hip. Felicity inhales sharply it was clear that she wasn't even seeing all of them, there would be more on her back.

Stepping forward she raises her hand towards one of the scars only for Buffy to catch her wrist holding her hand back.

Buffy keeps a hold of Felicity's hand for a moment before letting it drop back down to her side, she just...she didn't like it when people tried to touch them, it had become instinct to keep people away.

She gulps slightly when Felicity looks at her with a heartbroken expression "What happened to you?"

Buffy shrugs and moves away from her "Some are from Afghanistan ...others...they are more complicated." Slowly Buffy steps away from her cousin "That's not what I have to show you."

Before Felicity could say anything else Buffy walks into the living room and points at the large metal table in the dining area "Do you know what this is made of?"  
Felicity frowns at the question but walks over to the table, she examines it for a moment before nodding "Osmium. It's the heaviest natural occurring metal. Not even a weightlifter could lift it."

Buffy groans before grasping the table and pulling the metal table off the ground, as she slowly raises it above her head Felicity's eyes widen and she places a hand on the nearby wall...that wasn't possible...it wasn't possible.  
"How are you...?"

When no words leave her lips Buffy lowers the table and walks over to her, she places her hands on Felicity's arms and slowly lifts her off the ground causing the blonde genius to gasp in shock as she ends up hovering above the ground. She glances down at her cousin, her face still frozen in shock, it looked like Buffy wasn't even bothered by her weight, like she was a feather.

Buffy slowly lowers her cousin back down and steps back waiting for her reaction...at the moment she really couldn't be sure where this was going to go.

Slowly Felicity removes her glasses and stares at Buffy in silence she had no idea what to say, no words were leaving her lips which was so surprising on it's own.  
Buffy sighs "Fel-i-city." She says softly breaking up her name slightly "Look I know your freaked but I'm up against some dangerous people, people who want innocent people dead. I need your help."

Felicity stays silent before finally words escape her all coming out in a rushed panic "You have super strength, I think I'm going to faint or pass out, wait those are the same thing either way I'm going to do one of those things in 3 2 1..."  
Slowly she begins to stumble so Buffy quickly grabs her and walks her over to the couch and frowns in worry "Are you okay?"

Felicity merely gulps slightly, this was all too insane, how was this even possible "How are you—what happened—I—I don't understand, you have super strength...you're like a literal superhero...you have powers...that's not possible...not scientifically possible..."  
Buffy runs a hand through her hair, this was not going well, but it was going better than the last time so far "I'm the impossible."

As the reality of the situation begins to finally settle in Felicity's eyes widen in fear, she stands and stumbles slightly as she tries to keep her distance "What are you?" She asks fearfully as she raises her hand trying to keep her distance.  
Buffy clenches her jaw slightly she really hated getting asked that question, she swallows her hurt feelings and looks up at her cousin with big eyes "I'm a Vampire Slayer."

* * *

"I heard on the news the Dodger got away." Willow says to the guys as she walks into the Foundry where both Oliver and Diggle were stood with their arms folded "Hopefully the night wasn't a complete waste. Your dates?" She asks curiously only to frown when both men look away.

However before anyone could say anything Buffy walks into the foundry with a furious look on her face, she completely ignores everyone and walks over to one of Oliver's punching bags "I broke mine." She tells him before pulling off her jacket leaving her just in a vest, as she began pounding on the bag.

"How did it go with Felicity?" Willow asks cheerfully only to frown when Buffy only answers with a grunt "Don't start."  
Diggle frowns in confusion "Who's Felicity?"  
"Her cousin." Willow answers "They reconnected today, so how did it go Buff."

Buffy growls slightly before punching the bag again only causing the leather to snap and the sand inside to start pooling out "Fine." She breaths before turning to Oliver "Sorry."  
"It's fine." He tells her as he frowns in worry "Are you okay?"

Buffy nods before moving to sit beside Dig "Distract me." She tells them all "How did the dates go?" She asks focusing on the guys in the room.  
"Great." They both mumble under their breaths causing both the redhead and the blonde to roll their eyes.  
"You two suck at lying." Willow tells them as she moves over to the computers.

Buffy takes a deep breath and turns to Diggle who was watching her with a worried frown 'Are you Okay?' he mouths to her, he was clearly worried about her, he hated seeing her so upset.

Buffy shrugs slightly before leaning her head on his shoulder, she honestly didn't know how she felt, after what had happened between her and Felicity, she was worried she had scared her off permanently.

"The police and I busted it up before the Dodger could get himself paid." Oliver tells Willow as she takes her seat.  
Willow scoffs slightly "Don't change the subject." She warns as she turns back to him and glares.  
Oliver rolls his eyes, having her here was going to be a hell of a time "Is your hacker chip still working?"  
Willow sighs and she glances in-between Oliver and Diggle before focusing on Buffy "They are no fun."  
Buffy smiles slightly "Pretty much."

As Oliver and Willow speak for moment about the chip Buffy taps Dig's shoulder before taking his hand and leading him out the door.

As the door closes behind them Buffy turns to him and crosses her arms, something had gone wrong, she could tell "What happened with Carly?"  
Diggle scoffs slightly "What happened with your cousin?"  
Buffy rolls her eyes, she should have known he would do that, she had walked right into it. Clenching her jaw slightly she turns to him "You first."

Diggle sighs before leaning against the wall, he lets the back of his head rest against the cold brick wall before groaning, he had been such an idiot, he should never had asked Carly out in the first place "I screwed up." He breaths before glancing over at his best friend, she never judged him, not once since they had met had she ever not been there for him "I kept mentioning Andy. The whole time...it's like I couldn't mention anything without him popping into the conversation."

Buffy sighs and takes a deep breath, she takes Diggle's hand and tangles her fingers with his, he was one of the only people that she still showed her true emotions too.

"What happened with your cousin?" Diggle asks her, really hoping to change the topic for a moment.

Buffy sighs, she knew what he was doing and right now she knew that he needed her to distract him "Complicated." She says simply as she leans against her car which was parked opposite the wall "She was the tech Willow thought I should use...I had no idea she was my cousin till I saw her. But I had to show her...so now she thinks I'm a freak...which I am."  
"You're not a freak." Diggle argues as he looks her in the eyes "You are unique."  
Buffy chuckles slightly "Well she didn't faint like you did."

"I did not faint!" Diggle hisses, they had been having this argument for the past 4 years, he did not faint "I had a bullet in my shoulder when I found out."  
"You screamed like a girl." Buffy points out as she folds her arms, how many times were they going to have this discussion.  
Diggle glares at her slightly, he opens his mouth intent on arguing his case but groans, if they started now the conversation would go on for hours.  
Buffy smiles in success as she notices Diggle give in before finally she looks at him with a small smile "I told you mine back to you."

She steps forward and takes his hand in hers again, wrapping both of her hands around his hand "John, you can't let the ghost of Andy haunt you for your entire life."

Diggle shakes his head, she was right he knew that but the idea of letting his brother go forever killed him "What about you and Dean?" He points out "You say I'm haunted by Andy, well your being hunted by Lincoln and Angel."

Buffy sighs, she really hated that he kept turning this around on her, he knew her too well but then again he most probably thought the same about her.  
Diggle smiles before hugging Buffy to his side "If you need me there I'll be there. I am the protective older brother so I may need to put the fear of God in your boy."

Buffy smiles slightly and rests her head on his shoulder "I'll let you know. But Dig...when it comes to Carly...you care about her too much to let a ghost haunt you for the rest of your lives."

* * *

"We could lure him out into the open." Oliver says as he spots the poster for the Starling City Cancer Society.  
Willow arches a brow, it was a good idea but how exactly were they supposed to lure him there "With what? A fake?"

Oliver shakes his head, she seemed to be forgetting he was a billionaire "No. The Dodger clearly has a trained eye for this sort of thing. He's not going to fall for anything less than the genuine article."  
Willow sighs "Where are we going to get our hands on a rare Spanish antiquity?"

"You really have no idea how rich his family is, do you?" Diggle asks Willow as him and Buffy walk back into the room.  
Buffy and Willow both glance at Oliver who merely shrugs, it wasn't like he was that rich.

Okay maybe he was.

* * *

Xander sits in his office and activates the bug he had placed in Moira's jacket during their last meeting. He knew that she was planning to meet Frank again but he couldn't be sure when so he made sure that he would know no matter where he was.

 _"_ _There's one more thing I need you to do for me."_ Xander hears Moira says which makes him tense up slightly _"Malcolm's the only one who knows where Walter is being kept. I just—I just need a clue. Some lead to follow. If our plan works, I can't let it damn Walter to hell."_

Xander's eyes widen as it all clicks, was she actually planning to kill Malcolm, what exactly did she need to cover up to resort to this.

 _"_ _That's the fate that's in store for us, I'm afraid."_

Xander sighs, this was crazy, he needed to let Diggle know what he had found and quick.  
He moves to grab his phone only for it to start ringing, he frowns only to spot Giles' number on his screen.  
"Hey Giles."

 _"_ _Xander."_ Giles breaths in relief, that persistent assistant of his had continued to say that Xander was unavailable _"I swear that assistant of yours is in intolerable."  
_ Xander chuckles slightly before turning to his computer "What can I do for you Giles."  
 _"_ _Ah Yes...It seems I was able to discover some more details regarding our situation with Wolfram and Heart."_

Xander sits up straight at that, they hadn't heard anything in months, no new information, nothing, it had been beginning to drive them all crazy.  
"What did you find?"  
 _"_ _It appears that Wolfram and Heart need soldiers. Human and Demon which is why I'm assuming they joined forces with the Chinese Triad. Xander I believe that Wolfram and Heart are funding some sort of project in Starling. Something that will allow them to gain more power and access. I just have no idea what it could be._


	17. The Dodger - Part 3

As the drive towards the Charity event Willow glances over at Buffy who was slipping the karambit knives she had into the holder on her thighs, before lowering her dress back down covering up the concealed weapons easily.  
"Anything from Felicity?" Willow asks hesitantly as she notices Buffy check her phone again, that must have been the fifth time already tonight.  
Buffy shakes her head "She's freaked. Which I get...but..." Buffy takes a deep breath trying to think of what to say "She's my family and I'm kind of short on those at the moment...I don't want her to hate me."

Willow smiles sadly before an idea comes to her "She's smart. She's just adjusting...learning about the supernatural...it's a lot for one girl to take." She takes a deep breath before glancing back at Buffy for a moment as she fixed her makeup.

"I look ridiculous." Buffy moans as she fixes her wavy hair, she felt uncomfortable, it had been so long since she had dressed up in anything other than jeans and t-shirts.  
"You look stunning." Willow tells her with a laugh before focusing on the road before her "You know if Felicity decides to keep her distance, it might be an idea to involve Dig and Oliver...on a more permanent base."

"No." Buffy says instantly, she couldn't involve them, she had already spent so long arguing in her own head over involving Felicity, she could protect Felicity but Oliver and Diggle they would want to help, to go into the field to fight these monsters side by side with her...she couldn't do that...she couldn't lead anymore people to their deaths.  
"Buffy..." Willow says softly, still not quite getting it "Why won't you let them help?"

"I can't." Buffy breaths before glancing over at Willow "Will, you and Xander have known about this world for years and how many times have your lives been put in danger? I can't involve Oliver and Diggle, because these people are only going after you and Xander because of me...Liz I can protect, I can keep her out of the field but with them I can't. Dig will want to protect me and Oliver won't listen to me. They are safer this way..."

Willow arches a brow for a moment as something occurs to her "You don't trust Oliver, do you?"

Buffy clenches her jaw slightly, honestly as much as she wished she could she hadn't trusted anyone other than a handful of people in years, and they idea of trusting a vigilante who was just as impulsive as her did not appeal to her "No. I trust three people in my life. You, Xander and Diggle. No one else. Trusting anyone else gets me killed."

* * *

Oliver now dressed smartly in a black and white tux glances around the charity event, keeping an eye out for the Dodger, but still there was nothing.  
As he spots Diggle he quickly makes his way over to the bodyguard who had a worried look on his face "Police are here, too." He points out, this had not gone according to plan "Your bait's attracted them at least."  
Oliver clenches his jaw slightly, this had not been what he was expecting and it could certainly screw things up for them "It's not exactly who I'm looking to catch.

Oliver glances around the room only to freeze at the sight before him, entering the room was Buffy and Willow.  
Willow was on her phone most probably keeping an eye on their tracker but yet Oliver couldn't tear his gaze away from the blonde beside her.

Her long blonde hair had been pulled back and fell in small waves to her shoulders, she was wearing a golden dress that made her hair seem that much more golden and clearly she had spent some time covering up her scars with makeup because non of them were visible.

He lets out a small breath and tilts his head, he had only ever seen her in workout gear or her work uniform and yes she was a beautiful woman...he wasn't an idiot he had noticed it the first time they had met, but right now...she was breathtaking.

Diggle smiles at he spots his best friend only to frown when he spots Oliver staring at her like he was in some form of a trance. He taped Oliver on the shoulder before making his way past him and over to the girls.  
Oliver quickly awakens from his trance and follows Dig, just as he approaches, Diggle gives Buffy a hug before allowing her to hook her arm with his as they all begin walking around the ballroom.

"How long did it take?" Diggle asks gesturing to her arms, knowing she would have spent so long covering up the scars.  
Buffy groans at the memory "Long." She tells him as she adjusts her clutch in her palm before tapping his chest and grinning "Look at you dashing like and all."

Willow smiles before turning to Oliver "I've got a good signal on the GPS I put in your family's broach. I can track it on my phone."  
Buffy arches a brow "Is that what you were doing, the whole time I was stuck in security?"  
Oliver arches a brow "Why were you stuck in security?" His eyes widen for a brief moment "Tell me you did not sneak weapons in." He hisses quietly.

Buffy rolls her eyes "Only two." She mumbles under her breath "They're little and they totally go with my outfit."  
Oliver lets out a stunned breath while Willow merely nods in agreement with the blonde "It really ties the whole piece together."  
Oliver groans slightly and glances at Diggle who raises his hands "I'm not involving myself."

Buffy chuckles slightly before glancing over at Oliver "So what's plan B?"

Oliver arches a brow for a moment in confusion "Plan B."  
"Yeah...you know that plan that we use when the plan A fails and the Dodger goes zipidydoda with your family jewels."

When Willow, Oliver and Diggle all pause in their steps and stare at Buffy she frowns in confusion before finally she realises what she had in fact said "Oh...bad...bad phrasing."  
Oliver couldn't help but let out a breath of amusement "Do you have a Plan B?"  
"Yeah." She tells him "I don't think you'll like it. Actually...you really won't like it."

Oliver groans slightly before glancing at the three of them "Lets make sure Plan A works then. Keep your eyes open."  
Buffy nods "Oh Captain my Captain." She says sarcastically before grabbing Dig's arm and pulling him "Come twirl me around the dance floor."  
Dig's eyes widen in panic "Buff, no."  
"Silence." She orders before giggling "It's called blending Dig. Get with the program. You're mechanical."

As Diggle grumbles under his breath Oliver couldn't help but smile "Is she always like?" he asks Willow who was still stood in her emerald green cocktail dress staring at her phone.  
Willow smiles slightly "She used to be. He tends to bring out that side of her."  
Oliver smiles slightly and glances over at Diggle who was now dancing with Buffy before shaking his head in amusement, Dig really would do anything for that girl.

"Hey..." Willow says drawing his attention "isn't that..."  
Oliver frowns and turns his head towards the directions she was gesturing to only to pause as he spots McKenna standing there looking beautiful in her gown.

He clenches his jaw slightly the way their date had ended now digging at him and making this room feel at lot smaller than it was "I would rather take my chances with a deadly jewel thief." Oliver tells her before walking away from her.  
Willow shakes her head in amusement before turning her head back down to her phone, her eyes widen, the broach was moving.

* * *

"Stop grumbling." Buffy tells Dig as they waltz across the floor, when he merely glares at her she couldn't help but smile at him he always hated dancing.  
"Alright Mr. Grinch come on out with it." She says with a worried frown as hooks her arm's around his neck "John." She says softly drawing his attention. "NO changing the subject this time."  
John sighs, he should have expected she would do this "Buffy, I don't think now is..."  
"Sh." She tells him before smiling at him "You didn't screw up your chance." She tells him softly causing him to frown in confusion.

He arches a brow, she had done something, she had that look on her face she got when she had done something that she wasn't sure he would approve of.  
"What did you do?" He asks her.  
Buffy shrugs slightly before allowing him to twirl her out before bringing her back "She understands." Buffy tells him softly "It's hard for her too you know."  
Diggle's eyes widen at that as it all clicks, she had spoken to Carly about this.

Sensing he was going to say something, most probably to have a go at her for going behind his back and talking to Carly, Buffy quickly continues "She has the ghost too, you know. Everything you're feeling about why it's wrong...she feels too. But I knew Andy too Dig. He wouldn't want Carly to love a ghost for the rest of her life...he would have wanted her to find someone...someone like you. You just need to stop letting that guilty part of your head take over because then you begin to babble. And babble just leads to bad."

Diggle smiles at her slightly, sometimes she was the smartest person he had ever met, he twirls her again before dipping her causing her to giggle.

As he pulls her back her she smiles for a moment before something catches her attention...or more accurately the lack of something in the room. The lack of a specific person. Willow.

* * *

Buffy was extremely close to panicking at this rate, they had searched the whole building and there was no sign of her.

As her and Dig walk over to Oliver Buffy runs a worried hand through her hair "What are we gonna do?" She stutters in a panic "Where could she be? She—she knows not to wonder off- especially when bombs are involved—what if—"  
"Buffy breathe." Diggle tells her trying to stop her babble panic "I will go check out front and see of the security guards have seen her."  
Oliver turns to Buffy and places a hesitant hand on her shoulder "We'll find her."  
Buffy groans slightly, this couldn't be happening, she shouldn't have left her side, if anything happened to Willow it would be her fault "The bait. She would have stayed close."

Oliver nods "Okay, let's start their." He says as he places a hand on the small of her back and the two of them move to head towards the cases where all the donations were being kept only to freeze as Willow walks towards them, with a metal object wrapped around her neck which was flashing red.

"I think we have a problem."

* * *

"Get away from me." Willow tells Buffy as she backs into the corner of the quiet room they had all come into to get away from the crowd.  
"Will." Buffy tries but Willow continues to back away.  
"Buffy no." Willow tells her, "If this thing blows."  
Buffy shakes her head and walks over to her best friend taking her hand "That's not gonna happen."

The blonde takes a shaky breath, she was terrified on the inside, her best friend's life was at risk, which, was exactly what she had not wanted to happen "Dig." Buffy breaths as she turns to him.  
Dig nods and starts pouring out the contents of her clutch where she had stored a few things just in case.

Willow turns to Buffy, she didn't want them anywhere near her when this thing went off "Buffy...the Dodger said if I call the police he—I'm gonna lose my head aren't I? I always thought I'd get burnt at the stake...not have my head go splat!"

Buffy runs a hand through her hair before turning to her best friend, she takes her phone and turns to Oliver "He's on the move."

Oliver nods and turns to the scared Willow, despite all she had seen this was different, much much different because this wasn't a demon...this was a man...a human man threatening to blow up her head.  
"If I find him, I can get him to disarm it." Oliver tells the young redhead "Talk me in."  
"Us." Buffy interjects "I'm going with you." She tells him.  
Oliver's eyes widen, she couldn't be serious "Buffy, no..."  
Buffy shakes her head, there wasn't a choice in this, this man was threatening her best friend "She is my sister Oliver."

"NO." Oliver hisses again, this wasn't a discussion, she was not going with him, no way in hell.  
"Buffy." Willow whispers softly "Don't kill him."  
Buffy sighs knowing what Willow meant, she didn't want her to kill the Dodger. Instead of agreeing she squeezes Willow's hand "You're gonna be okay. I promise you."  
Buffy glances at Diggle once who nods at her, letting her know he had this, she takes a deep breath before running past Oliver.  
"Buffy!" Oliver hisses as he runs after her.

* * *

"You can't be out here!" Oliver hisses as he finally after extreme amounts of energy catches up with Buffy, seriously how did one small girl move so fast and in those shoes?  
Buffy glares over at him for a moment "It's Willow." She merely says, stressing the importance of this.

Oliver groans before reaching for his comms, he knew there was no point arguing with her, she wasn't going to stop till Willow was safe, at least she could handle herself in a fight.  
"Talk to me, Willow."

 _"_ _Heading towards Adams and O'Neal's. At the clip he's going he's got to be in a vehicle."_

Buffy pauses for a moment and glances at Oliver, they wouldn't catch this guy on foot. Buffy groans slightly before spotting a motorcycle nearby, she walks over to the guy, he was about 6.5 and completely towered over her but she didn't care, she merely glared up at him "Need your bike."  
The man chuckles "You kidding sweet thing."  
"Aw I'm more soar then sweet." She says with a grin before kneeing him in the groin causing him to gdop onto his knees, she then spins her legs around hitting him in the head sending him crashing face first to the ground unconscious.

"That's one way to do it." Oliver mutters as he climbs onto the bike and Buffy climbs on behind him wrapping her arms around his waist.

* * *

As the drive through the streets Buffy sighs "Told you you wouldn't like it."|  
"Like what!" Oliver yells over the engine of the bike.  
"Plan B!"  
Oliver's eyes widen "This was your plan B!"  
"Well..." Buffy pauses maybe not the best idea to chase down a thief without her mask but she hadn't put a lot of thought into the plan "It was only 40% finished."  
"40%?!"

 _"_ _Guys!"_ Willow yells suddenly drawing both of their attentions.

"Sorry." Buffy mumbles before standing slightly on the bike to get a better look around as Oliver continued to speed them through the streets "We're mobile. Willow?"  
 _"_ _Buffy this is gonna be the first and only time you've ever been grateful for traffic cameras."_

Buffy rolls her eyes, she did not speed that much...she pauses remembering the amount of speeding tickets she got her first year after she got her license...okay maybe everyone did have a point regarding her driving.

 _"_ _He's one block from your position, guys. If you cut through Harris Plaza you'll end up right behind him."_

"Hold on!" Oliver tells Buffy as the bike makes a violent turn towards the Plaza, Buffy wraps her arms around Oliver's waist as the bike flies over the stairs before speeding back into the road.  
"Where is he Will?" Buffy asks as she sits up glancing around at the cars, she couldn't get a good look with this stupid helmet on though.  
 _"_ _Got him. Grey Sedan driving north at the light ahead of you."  
_ Buffy quickly glances around and instantly she spots it "There go!"  
Oliver speeds forward and as they take a hard right they finally catch up with the Dodger's car.

Buffy frowns as Oliver has to move the bike violently again, the Dodger was going to try and force them off the road.  
Glancing around at the empty street Buffy hesitates for a brief second before beginning to stand on the seat.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Oliver hisses as he notices her beginning to stand, was she nuts?  
"Just get me close." She tells him as she keeps her hands on his shoulder's for balance.

Oliver groans slightly, this woman was nuts but it wasn't like he could stop her, she wasn't going to listen "Buffy—" He starts only to be cut off as she leaps off the bike and lands on the roof of the Dodger's car.  
"Dammit!" Oliver exclaims he tries to get in close again but the Dodger forces him off the road "Crap!" He mutters, he needed to help her.

* * *

As the motorcycle disappears from view Buffy tries with all her strength to keep a hold of the roof of the car but she was slipping and sliding all over the place.  
 _"_ _Buffy what the hell are you doing!"_ Willow hisses through the comms, the worry evident in her voice.

"Yell later!" Buffy tells her before punching her hand through the metal of the roof so that she would have a more solid grip.  
Buffy grunts as the car takes a violent turn, he was trying to get her off the roof, that was clear.

She grunts again as her body goes swinging to the side, she almost falls off the car completely but as her body slides from the roof she managed to keep a hold of the roof so her body was hanging on the side of the car just by the driver's window.

She glances through the window and spots the Dodger glaring at her, she glares right back before punching her free hand though the glass "Mind if I drive?" She asks before yanking on the wheel causing the car to hit the side of a concrete pillar.  
She quickly lets herself drop to the ground just as the car goes skidding across the road before flipping over.

Buffy groans in pain as her body rolls against the concrete ground, when she finally stops rolling she hisses in pain before pulling herself up, she glances down to make sure the wound on her leg hadn't re-opened and too her relief it hadn't but her dress had ripped.

"Oh...that's gonna cost ya." She hisses as she stands and makes her way to the half turned car where Dodger was now climbing out.  
"Don't do anything stupid." He warns her "I had the foresight to collar up a particularly inquisitive red-head. I assume she's a friend of yours. Touch one hair on my head and she loses hers."  
Buffy groans slightly as she spots the device in his hands, the one that could kill Willow with just the stroke of a button "You've got quite the choice to make, don't you?"

Buffy smirks slightly before reaching for the blade on her left thigh and tossing it at him with perfect accuracy "You see, there's a benefit to my day job. I know where to cut to make you completely useless."

The Dodger's eyes widen and as she approaches he moves to hit the button only for his eyes to widen in panic as he realises that he can't move his fingers.  
Buffy walks over and takes the device from his hands "Surprise." She says with a smirk before punching him in the face sending him sprawling to the floor.

* * *

Willow and Diggle both stare at the screen in front of them as they watch Buffy send the Dodger sprawling, Oliver was still weaving though traffic and hadn't caught up with them yet.  
Willow takes a deep breath for a moment before finally the bomb around her neck releases allowing her to take a breath of relief as she strokes her now free neck "Oh Thank God."  
She smiles slightly only to freeze as she realises that Buffy was now approaching the Dodger with her blade "Oh No. Buffy."

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" The Dodger grunts out as Buffy kicks him sending him skidding across the floor once again. She was too far gone now, too far gone in worry and anger, he had almost killed Willow and he had killed others.

Buffy tilts her head and grabs him by the neck before raising him off the ground, when he attempts to hit her with a taser she grasps his wrist and squeezes causing him to cry out in agony.  
"You threatened her." Buffy hisses angrily as in front of her was no longer the Dodger but a different figure, a form from her past, the person who had taken someone she loved.  
She grasps his head in her hands intent on snapping his neck however suddenly the motorbike pulls up next to her.

Oliver after listening to Willow's panicked voice pulls over and quickly leaps off the bike, his eyes widen as he spots Buffy with her hands wrapped around the Dodger's head, she was going to kill him.

"Hey!" He calls drawing Buffy's attention, despite the fact that he had been very prepared to kill the man himself for some reason he knew that Buffy shouldn't do it. There was already a darkness surrounding her, one she was fighting everyday, much like himself. But out of the two of them she had the best chance of stepping back into the light.  
"You don't wanna do this." He tells her trying to calm her.

Buffy groans slightly before glancing over at Oliver, she had to do this, this man had killed so many people and had threatened her best friend "You would do the same."  
"You're not me." He argues as he steps towards her hesitantly "I know that you feel like you need to kill him...I have that urge but...fight it."  
Buffy growls slightly "I can't." She grunts out as she tightens her hold on the Dodger.  
"He doesn't deserve to live." Oliver admits "He tried to hurt her I know but...how long has it been since you've taken a human life?"

Buffy's eyes widen and she glances over at Oliver, she raises the cover of the helmet and stares at him, how could he know this.  
She takes a shaky breath "Not since..."

Oliver steps forward and grabs the taser from the floor hitting the Dodger with it and as he collapses on the ground unconscious he turns back to Buffy seeing the exact same look in her eyes that he saw everyday in his own "Sometimes...there is another way."  
He places a hand on her shoulder causing her to lower her hands and she glances away from the unconscious man "That's what Willow always says right...there is another way."

Buffy takes a shaky breath, there was too much going on through her head, too much anger and fear, too much worry, she had lost control again, lost control over the very emotions she had been burying for so long. Finally she takes a long breathe before looking up at Oliver just as the sirens of the police fill the area "We need to get out of here."

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

Buffy runs across the tops of the building as quickly as she can, leaping across one after the other. As she leaps onto the next roof she glances down at her watch, she was running late.  
She groans slightly before leaping onto the final building she quickly slides down the drainpipe to the alleyway below before tucking the reminder of her books into her bag and running into a nearby metal door.  
She winces at the door makes a squeaking noise behind her, closing her eyes in annoyance she slowly closes the door behind her before moving quickly into the small backroom.

"Girl you're late." A small voice says from the corner of the room.  
Buffy gasps slightly before glaring at the girl "Shut it Emma." She hisses only earning a laugh out of the other blonde.  
Buffy sighs before shoving her stuff into her locker and quickly grabbing her apron wrapping it around her waist "The beast hasn't noticed yet has he?"  
Emma chuckles "I've been in here 20 minutes so I doubt it. Last time I checked he was staring at the cute guy at the bar."  
Buffy shakes her head in amusement "He really is a regular James Bond huh?" She jokes causing Emma to snicker slightly.

Buffy smiles before quickly grabbing her notepad and pulling up her hair into a ponytail "I better get out there before he gets bored of his toy boy."  
She gives Emma a wave before clocking in, as she does she sighs, another day of waitressing, God how domestic had she become.

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"What the hell were you thinking!" Oliver yells as him and Buffy stand in the foundry still wearing their clothes from the fundraiser.  
Buffy merely stands there in silence allowing Oliver to continue to yell at her, she might as well let him get it out of his system.  
"You were reckless! You could have been killed!"

As he finally stops, his breathing still heavy, Buffy takes a deep breath and instead of arguing back she surprises him "You're right."  
Oliver frowns in confusion "Sorry, what?"  
Buffy sighs, she wasn't going to say it again "I was reckless...and emotional. And you had to talk me off the edge. Oliver...I have no one left anyone expect for her, Xander and Dig. Most of my family is dead and the rest won't even speak to me anymore. I'm sorry that I lost it..."

Oliver raises his hand cutting her off "I understand." He tells her honestly because if it had been Thea or his mother with that collar on he would have acted the exact same. Maybe Diggle was right, that he and Buffy were more alike than he cared to admit.

* * *

Diggle takes a breath as he watches Carly for a moment, they had gone on a stroll together and he was still struggling to get the right words out.  
"In war you act or you die." He tells her, this was the only way he could think to explain all the arguing opinions in his head "No time to think, no time to second guess yourself."  
"Maybe that's your problem." Carly tells him as she takes a step closer to him "With me you're thinking, not feeling."  
Diggle takes a breath "You're right." He tells her because she was, he had spent so long convincing himself that going after her was a bad idea that when he had finally given in he couldn't stop thinking and trying to talk himself out of it.  
So instead of thinking he allows himself to feel, to do the thing that he had been wanting to do for years, stepping forward he leans down and kisses her.

* * *

"18." Buffy breaths as she continues to do pull ups in the living room, using the wooden pillars near the ceiling to pull herself off the ground.

As she goes in for another pull up there is a banging at the front door causing her to frown in confusion, she hadn't been expecting anyone.  
Dropping down to the ground she takes a deep breath and stretches her arms, she was sweating and hot but it was a good distraction from life.

However she knew she had to get back to life so she opened the front door only to have the hurricane that was Felicity Smoke comes trampling into her home, walking right past her into the centre of the living room.

Buffy freezes for a brief moment before closing the door and turning to her cousin "Tell me this isn't going to turn into some house invasion film."  
"What?" Felicity asks only to realise Buffy had been kidding "Funny." She mumbles before shaking her head and focusing "Okay now you listen. No interruptions."  
"But—"  
"No."  
Buffy sighs, it was like being around Dawn all over again "Okay." She says as she raises her hands "You have the floor."

"Thank you." Felicity tells her before crossing her arms "We're family...and neither of us has a lot of that left. I don't think you're a freak...a little...different...and the whole...de—de—" Felicity stutters struggling to get over the word.  
"Demon thing?" Buffy supplies only to earn a glare out of Felicity "Sorry." She mutters sheepishly.

"Okay so despite the fact that the whole demon aspect is totally insane and completely freaks me out...you're family. And Family sticks together." Felicity lets out a breath before stepping over to Buffy and hugging her "No matter what."

Buffy lets out a surprised breath, of all the things she had been expecting that wasn't it. Felicity had just accepted it...made it clear that no matter what she wasn't going anywhere. If Buffy showed her emotions freely she most probably would have cried with joy because she was inside. It felt nice to now be abandoned.  
She smiles slightly, an honest to God true smile "And save's the world together it seems."

Felicity smiles, that was actually kind of cool, it would be like a Summers/Smoke tradition, saving the world together "So when do we start?"

* * *

Oliver takes a hesitant breath as he stands opposite the waiting McKenna, he had come to the police station because he did like her...and maybe he could try and open up more. After his talk with Buffy he had realised something, Buffy had been though a lot maybe more horrors then himself and she still found it in herself to care deeply for the people around her. To open up when she may not be comfortable doing it because it brought up bad memories. So maybe...he could try and do the same.

"When you asked me about the island, it-it reminded me of all the hard things and the hard choices I had to make that still stay with me." He says as he steps closer to McKenna who was watching him intently "Make me question who I can trust and even if I'm worthy of being with anyone."

McKenna tilts her head slightly as she examines him, he was so different it was insane, he really wasn't the same guy from five years ago. Slowly a small smile covers her lips and she tip toes up and kisses him.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

Buffy quickly exits her final class and glances at her watch, she had a few hours to kill before she had to patrol and right now all she really wanted to do was sleep.

Grabbing her stuff she makes her way outside and steps out of the doors of the main campus. Taking in a breath of the fresh air she smiles slightly, it had taken her a while to get used to the cold weather having grown up in California the move to Boston had been so drastically different. But it was a nice different.

She wraps a scarf around her neck and moves down the pathway heading towards the main gate however suddenly a hard body crashes into her causing her to stumble slightly.

"Geez speedy Gonzales, we in a rush there." She mutters as she turns to the guy who had crashed into her only to spot a tall rather attractive dark skinned man staring down at her "Are you Buffy Summers?"  
Buffy arches brow for a moment "Depends. Did I put you in a hospital bed in high school."  
The man frowns in confusion "I very much doubt that."

Buffy chuckles "Okay then Buffy Summers I am. Who the hell are you?"  
"My Name is Gunn. Charles Gunn, I need your help."

* * *

Starling City - Present Day

Xander's eyes widen as he peeks from behind the car he had followed Moira in and spots China White, the woman who had shot at Buffy months ago, the woman who was in league with Wolfram and Hart and now apparently Moira as well. Xander let out a small breath, just how involved with all of this was Moira.

 _"_ _Malcolm Merlyn."_ Xander hears Moira tell China _"I want you to kill him for me."_

* * *

Buffy takes another deep breath before adjusting her leather jacket, she was nervous, more than she thought she would be. Honestly she thought this was going to be a walk in the park. Apparently not.

She glances down at her outfit, the blue jeans and the black vest before pouting "I just need to go home and change." She tells Diggle who was stood beside her watching her in amusement.  
"I have a better outfit at home...it's real nice...it'll be real quick." When she attempts to make a run for it Diggle grabs her arms and chuckles "Nice try." He then turns her back towards the door and shoves her forwards slightly "Alright come on."

Buffy groans slightly before nodding, she could do this, she could do this...she pauses for a moment and allows the panic to settle back in, she couldn't do this, what had she been thinking. This had been a stupid idea.

"You know what...why don't we just go back to mine...please? Mine is good, bigger, more roomy, lots of space to think...and hide."  
"Buffy." Diggle laughs before knocking on the door "You're gonna be fine. I'm here."

Buffy gulps slightly before nodding "Okay." She breaths just as the front door opens and standing there is Dean was a goofy smile on his face, Buffy frowns, smug bastard.  
He steps forward intent on kissing her only to have Dig clear his throat and cross his arms making it clear that tonight there would be a few feet minimum distance.  
"Come on in." Dean tells them both "We're having burgers. Sammy's barbecuing right now."

Dean throws a cautious look at Dig once more before leading the two of them into the house and onto the balcony where a very tall man about Buffy's age was standing by the grill. He looked like Dean but his hair was longer and in Buffy's opinion he was not a man-pretty as Dean but still pretty. What was with this family? How were they all so good looking?

Dean slaps his brother's back before taking Buffy's hand "Buffy, this is my brother Sam. Sam this is Buffy."

Sam turns to the blonde and smiles, she was pretty just like his brother had said and from the goofy look on Dean's face, she made him extremely happy "The badass medic...nice to meet you Buffy."  
Buffy smiles "Nice to meet you to, the giant brother Sam."  
Sam chuckles before turning to Diggle in confusion.

Buffy smiles and turns to Dean "You wanted me to meet your brother. Well...this is mine."


	18. Dead To Rights - Part 1

_"_ _Okay security cameras are down, you have two minutes before the backup monitors switch them back on."  
_ As Felicity informs her of this Buffy glances around from the wall she was hid behind and looks down the empty hallway of the bank.

"Got it." She whispers as she slowly makes her way down the hall being cautious not to get caught or set off any alarms like last time.  
As she glides along the floors of the bank towards where the demon was hidden away in a secret office in one of the vaults Buffy couldn't help but worry.

The last time she had been here she had almost got caught and if Felicity hadn't erased the security footage then not only would she have demons on her trail she would have the cops on her as well.

 _"_ _So..."_ Felicity ponders loudly drawing Buffy's attention _"...vampires—which are a real thing...are extinct?"_ She asks curiously, despite what Buffy had told her she knew there was more, Buffy had been very vague on a lot of the details.

Buffy groans slightly at Felicity's question she really did not want to be doing this right now "Yes."  
 _"_ _Is Dracula real?—Buffy don't move."_

Buffy frowns but freezes bending down out of sight, she sighs in relief as the guards that she had not seen, walk by her without spotting her.

Once they were out of sight she continues down the hall finally ending up outside the vault.  
 _"_ _So...Dracula?"  
_ Buffy rolls her eyes "Yeah and he's a real creep."

Buffy could practically hear the excitement in Felicity's voice _"You met Dracula!"_ She yells making Buffy wince slightly and adjust her earpiece _"Was he cute?"  
_ Buffy chuckles slightly as she raises the scythe and swings it at the pins keeping the vault door locked "He kind of looked like a pale sickly evil soap opera actor."

Buffy smiles as she hears Felicity laugh, the two go back to a comfortable silence as Buffy lifts the vault door off it's hinges and places it next to the now hole in the wall.

She twirls the scythe in her grasp and steps into the dark vault frowning slightly "Can you get me some light?"  
 _"_ _On it."_

Buffy tightens the scythe in her grasp, something about this place sent a shiver up her spine, there was something about it that just felt off.

Suddenly the lights came on filling the room in a bright yellow glow however Buffy's eyes widen at what was right in front of her.

Looks like that shiver had been right as right in front of her was her target only he had clearly shredded his human form.  
He had about 12 tentacles and was about 15 feet tall and covered in slim.  
Her face instantly scrunches up in disgust "Eeewww!"

 _"_ _Is—Is that a demon?"_ Felicity's clearly horrified voice asks just as Buffy slices through one of the tentacles.

"Yep!" Buffy yells as she leaps through the air only for one of the tentacles to wrap around her ankle and slam her against a nearby wall knocking the wind out of her.  
 _"_ _I—I don't like those."  
_ Buffy groans in pain but grabs the scythe "Me either."

* * *

"Guillermo Barrera, you have failed this city." Oliver yells as his target climbs out of the helicopter only to merely stare at him in his Hood gear completely unimpressed.  
"You've built quite a reputation."  
Oliver rolls his eyes "And you should have stayed overseas." He growls.

Barrera merely tilts his head "I thought about it. But then I remembered, I've got a reputation, too."

Suddenly two blades appear in his hands instantly Oliver raises his bow releasing an arrow towards Barrera who moves out of the way.

The two exchange Arrows and knifes one after the other each of them trying to cut down the other.  
When they finally meet for hand to hand it doesn't take long before Oliver shoves an arrow into his chest before letting him fall to the ground.

He glances down at the dead body but when he hears sirens approaching he quickly grabs Barrera's phone before disappearing from sight.

* * *

"Ow!" Buffy hisses as Felicity keeps an arm wrapped around her waist while her arm hung loosely around the blonde's tech's shoulder.  
Felicity glances over at Buffy and winces "Sorry." She mumbles before helping the limping Buffy towards the apartment.

Pushing open the front door she smiles over at Xander who was currently guzzling down a pizza on the couch "A little help?!"

Xander spits out his pizza in shock before turning to face the girls his eyes widen as he spots the two blonde cousins covered in slim and what looked like blue demon guts.

He attempts to climb over the couch only to slip and land on the floor, he quickly stands back up acting like a complete spaz, which only made Felicity smile slightly "You okay?"

Xander nods his head quickly up and down as he takes a hold of Buffy's other arm only to groan at the stench that was coming off her "Fine, fine yeah, totally fine. Buffy you stink."

Buffy glares at her best friend before detatching herself from Xander and her cousin and slowly limping towards the bathroom.

As she limps Xander glances over at Felicity in hopes of getting some form of explanation but she merely shakes her head and adjusts her glasses "Um...well you see..."  
"Don't!" Buffy yells loudly, not bothering to turn to face them "Don't. Just don't. I need to shower...many many showers."  
As Buffy limps into the bathroom and closes the door Xander turns back to the blonde genius "Felicity?"

She merely shakes her head before making her way to the bathroom across the hall shivering and groaning in disgust as she does "Don't ask...it's just...ugk!" She mutters shaking violently as she pulls a bit of demon lung that Buffy had gotten on her off "I really hate demons."

* * *

"Nope. Not happening." Willow argues adamantly as she crosses her arms refusing to leave the comfort of her chair.  
Diggle merely crosses his arms and stares down at her, he wasn't going to leave this alone.  
At his stare Willow shakes her head again "You and your bowling ball arms can take a hike. Not gonna happen."

Diggle sighs not understanding why she was being so stubborn "If you're going to be working with us, I'll sleep a lot easier knowing that you can handle yourself, at least a little bit."  
Willow rolls her eyes, she understood his reasoning but she had survived her whole life on the Hellmouth without becoming a freaking ninja.  
"I don't see this as necessary."

Diggle sighs shaking his head in frustration, the fact that she wasn't already trained was shocking enough but she was driving him insane now. Honestly the fact that the redhead had been working for the Watcher's Council for years and had not received even the basics in self-defence was ridiculous.

"Did Buffy never teach you?"  
Willow shrugs "A little, never needed it though."  
Diggle arches a brow at her clearly unconvinced by her argument "And why?"

Willow's eyes widen in panic, how the hell was she supposed to explain about the fact that magic had always been her little cheat "Um...me well I...stop asking me questions! This is not therapy!" She yells suddenly causing Diggle to frown in confusion and shock, Buffy had warned him that Willow could babble and go from zero to sixty in about half a second.

Willow pouts slightly trying to keep her mouth shut so she didn't spill anything she wasn't supposed to. As though her calls were being heard Oliver walks into the Lair and a massive grin covers her face "Oh look Oliver's back."

Diggle shakes his head "This conversation isn't over."  
Willow merely taps Diggle's arm playfully before wheeling herself away from him and back over to the table.  
Diggle sighs before turning to Oliver "How'd it go?"  
"Badly for him."

Willow frowns in confusion and turns away from the computer to face the green clad vigilante "Who him?"  
"An assassin for hire with an affinity for knives. His name was Guillermo Barrera."  
Willow's eyes widen at that, he had killed him, he had killed the man in cold blood "Was?" She whispers unable to find any other words.

Diggle who unlike Willow was unaffected by the news that Oliver had killed someone turns to the billionaire "So we can't ask him about his intended target?"

Oliver merely shakes his head before pulling out his list of names, placing it on the table beside Willow he crosses out Barrera's name before turning back to face Diggle "No."

Quickly he pulls out the phone he had picked up after killing Barrera and turns to the still frozen red head "Which is why I need you to hack his phone. Barrera's world class. He kills high profile targets. And whatever job he was hired for isn't finished. We need to figure out who he was here to kill and fast. They are probably still in danger, ok?"

As he holds out the phone towards her Willow stays rather uncharacteristically quiet as she takes in out of his palm before merely nodding. She couldn't speak. She had nothing to say, Oliver killing was still a tough subject for her, she had never wanted to be involved in killing again.

"I have to meet McKenna." Oliver says causing Diggle to smirk slightly.  
"Good thing she didn't meet you at the heliport."

Oliver glares slightly and ignores the comment choosing not to listen to it as he walked over to his station where the rest of his arrows were displayed.

As he walks Diggle shakes his head, slightly annoyed that Oliver was being so reckless "It may not be a good idea to fall for the cop that's hunting you down."  
"Well it's slim pickings for us vigilantes."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Boston

Buffy continues to tap her pen violently against her book as she zones out during her lecture, she couldn't focus which sucked because she wanted to focus. She had left England so that she could focus on herself for once, to actually do something for herself. And yet here she was worrying about what Gunn had told her, running it over and over again in her head.

She sighs slightly before running a hand through her hair as she thinks about all the possible scenarios Gunn had used to try and convince her to help...to say that had been disturbing and horrifying was a little bit of an understatement.

"Alright collect your assignments and we will pick this up next week."

At Doctor Owens' words Buffy shoots up in her desk suddenly feeling the need for some air, maybe fresh air could help her calm the crazy thoughts running through her head right now.

She quickly walks down the stairs and grabs her assignment before heading outside, the minute she takes that first gulp of fresh air she leans against the nearby wall and sighs in relief.

However that relief was quickly shattered as she spotted the one and only Charles Gunn standing opposite her with a smirk on his handsome face "Ready to help me find Angel girly?"


	19. Dead To Rights - Part 2

Present Day – Starling City

"Ow!" Felicity grunts as she lands flat on her face on the mats which Buffy had placed in her living room for this training session.  
Buffy arches a brow as she stares down at her cousin, a small sly smirk of amusement crossing her face as she does "You suck at this."

Felicity rolls her eyes before taking Buffy's hand as the blonde Slayer offers to help her up.  
Felicity rolls her shoulders before shrugging "My mind is a temple my body...not so much."

Buffy shakes her head before sighing, she needed Felicity to take this seriously, she was hesitant enough about involving Felicity in this world, but if she was going to continue to do it then she would be damned if her cousin didn't have something to protect herself with.

"The trick is to keep your weight evenly distributed..." Buffy tells her as she walks past Felicity towards the bo-staffs in the corner of the room right next to her Katana.

"I thought the trick was to not get into fights...especially with super powered demons that could and would kill me." Felicity points out flatly as she rubs her sore shoulder while turning to face her cousin who was twirling a bo-staff in her palm.

Buffy sighs before turning to face the genius as she places the end of the bo-staff on the ground leaning her jaw on the tip as she stares at one of her few family members left "Look, humans that work for demons can be just as dangerous. Especially if they find you. Which is why tomorrow I'm gonna show you how to shoot a gun."  
"You hate guns."  
"Doesn't mean I don't know how to use one."

Felicity sighs before her eyes widen in panic as Buffy tosses a bo-staff at her, she yelps slightly before clenching her eyes shut as she catches the bamboo stick.

At Buffy's small chuckle Felicity glares at her before looking at her seriously as the Slayer approaches her, she was still curious about the demons thing. She wanted to know more, it was the hacker part of her brain begging to dig deeper for the intel.  
"So what actually happened in Sunnydale, with the whole Grand Canyon remodel?"

Buffy sighs before swinging her bo-staff down at Felicity causing the blonde to yelp again before raising the staff blocking Buffy's with her own.  
"My ex blew it up." The Slayer says simply before twisting Felicity's staff to the side before tapping her backside causing Felicity to cry out in shock.

Buffy laughs loudly as she circles around her cousin before spinning around swinging the bo-staff again, this time Felicity didn't yelp but she merely raised the her staff again blocking Buffy's blow.

"Good." Buffy tells her before spinning away and swinging her staff at Felicity's legs sending the bottle blonde tumbling to the ground.

Felicity groans knowing that she was likely going to be covered in bruises tomorrow morning, she sighs before pulling herself back onto her feet and turning to her cousin smiling slightly, it was nice to see Buffy smile. One of the last times she had seen Buffy smile was before Celia's death after that Buffy had been more distant. Honestly, she hadn't really realised how much she had missed Buffy till she had wondered into her office the other week.

"How did you go from badass Slayer – to medic- - to Vigilante?" Felicity asks curiously as Buffy puts the bo-staffs away while she grabs her water bottle feeling very out of breath.

Buffy's jaw clenches slightly, her journey from Slayer to whatever the hell she was now was not one she wanted to revisit. Ever.  
"I'm not a vigilante." She answers flatly, her voice completely void of emotion as she avoids Felicity's question.

Felicity turns to Buffy as she moves to sit down on the chair she had dubbed as her own with an arched brow, Buffy chooses to go out on the streets in a suit with a mask, if that didn't mean vigilante then she didn't know what did "Well..."  
"Liz." Buffy says sharply cutting her off, she didn't want to talk about this.

Felicity clearly did not hear the anger in Buffy's voice so she merely continued "Well just in basic terms...you do wear a mask."  
Buffy groans and rubs her forehead in frustration "Dear God."

* * *

As Moira and Frank enter the meeting Xander glances up from his phone where he had been pretending that he wasn't playing angry birds for the past 10 minutes, which was surprising more difficult than he thought. Maybe he should stop fist bumping the air every time he passed a new level.

Xander sighs before focusing on Moira, he had yet to tell Dig what he had found out yet, he really did need to update him on the whole Moira wants Malcolm dead shindig.  
Speaking of the douche in a suit Xander turns his chair to face the American psycho impressioner as he continues to stand in front of the floor length windows.

"I have very welcome news to share with all of you." Malcolm says as he turns to face the board "Thanks to Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences Division and the recent acquisition of Unidac Industries, the undertaking we set for ourselves is only months from fruition. There's hope of the horizon for everyone in Starling."

Xander arches a brow no one had let him in on the whole Undertaking thing yet "What exactly is the Undertaking?"  
"It's hope Mr. Harris. Our way of making sure Starling City has a future." Merlyn says with a grin, which made a shiver go down Xander's spine, one he hadn't felt since the days of Snyder "We won't fail this city."

"And I think I speak for everyone here when I say we're all with you, Malcolm." Moira says with a small smile, however when she notices Xander attempting to raise his hand again she glares at him making it clear to put his hand down.  
The young man gulps before sinking slightly into his chair, what could he say...the woman could be scary.

* * *

"Barrera's got cobalt-level encryption on this phone." Willow says with a small whistle as her fingers continue to fly over the keys of the computer before a frown crosses her face "It's not going to be easy to break." She shrugs slightly though and clicks her fingers this was nothing she couldn't handle "But hey if I can break into city plans for Buffy when I was 16 I can do this I am the queen of code breaking. If there was a title I would totally own its ass."

Diggle smiles in amusement, understanding more about why Buffy always spoke so highly of the redheaded genius.  
Oliver glances at the red head with a frown "Why were you breaking into city records for Buffy?"

Willow's eyes widen and she curses her big mouth, sometimes she wish she could just duck tape her babble mouth shut herself "What huh? Did I say that I don't think so...I think your finally losing your mind Oliver..."  
"Willow..." Oliver warns but she laughs loudly before pointing at the computer screen so happy that she had something to get his mind off this "Well would you look at that."

"What is that?" Oliver asks her now completely focused on this, the thought of Buffy's mysterious past pushed to the back of his head, but not gone completely.  
"Just the last number he dialled."  
"Which was?"  
"A restaurant in Chinatown. Jade Dragon. I guess even hired killers enjoy the city's best chow mien." She says with a small smirk as she smirks at Dig who merely arches a brow at her "Jade Dragon is a front for the Chinese mafia."

"Call the restaurant..." Oliver tells Willow drawing her attention "...make a reservation for tonight. You need to decrypt that phone." He orders her as he turns to face her fully.

"Yes captain." She sasses as Oliver walks away from the table, she rolls her eyes before leaning over to Diggle "You know Buffy gets free Chinese at the restaurant near the hospital right?"  
Slowly a grin covers his face as he remembers that the owners refused to charge Buffy for food despite the fact that she always ordered absurd amounts, they were just so grateful that she had saved their daughter.

And now he was in the mood for some free Chinese "Mm."

* * *

Buffy runs a hand through her hair as she closes up the back of the ambulance, tapping it she sighs as it drives off.  
Glancing down at her blood covered top she couldn't help but groan slightly, not from disgust she was so used to her clothes being covered in blood that it didn't bother her anymore...unless it was expensive and white...then it did really bother her.

But she was annoyed by what had happened on this last call, this poor kid had been shot thirteen times during a drive by and she hated it...hated that this poor kid suffered for no reason other than the fact that he had been caught in the crossfire.

Rubbing her freezing arms she grabs her jacket from her bag and quickly slips it on as she makes her way inside the hospital, to fill out the paperwork before she could head back onto the road ready for her next call.

"Miss Summers?" A voice says from behind her and the voice made her freeze, it felt so familiar yet she couldn't place it, but it did send a shiver down her spine one that she hadn't felt since Snyder.  
Frowning she turns her head only to spot a man with dark hair in a suit moving towards her "Umm...depends...do I owe you money."  
The man chuckles "No."  
"Did I beat up your son in high school?"  
"Possibly but I doubt it."  
Buffy lets out a small breath "Then Buffy I am. Now...who are you?"

The man clears his throat before holding out a hand towards her "Malcolm Merlyn, CEO of Merlyn Global Group."  
Buffy stands there frozen in confusion for a moment before clearing her throat and shaking his hand being careful not to break it. She was just in shock, what the hell did he want to speak to her about.

"Is this about Xander?" She asks suddenly "Cause I swear he's not playing angry birds during meeting he just gets really enthusiastic."  
"I'm sure." Merlyn says with a small laugh before reaching into his jacket and holding out a small envelope "Actually Miss Summers I'm being honoured by the Starling City Municipal Group. They are bestowing me with their annual humanitarian award."

Buffy merely arches an eyebrow in confusion; he still hadn't explained why the hell he was talking to a random medic "Congratulations?" She replies but it ends up sounding more like a question than anything else.  
Merlyn merely smiles at her before handing the envelope towards her "For the woman who saved Walter I would like to invite you to the event."

Buffy's eyes widen at that as she stares at the invitation, he had to be kidding right? She opens her mouth intent on saying thanks but no thanks however when she looks up Merlyn was already heading off in the other direction.

* * *

"The Triad have hired a contract killer." Oliver says bluntly through the Hood phone the second that the clearly annoyed Lance answers.  
 _"_ _Yeah?"_ Lance asks clearly no too happy with the Hood calling him again _"You mean the one you put in the morgue. Congratulations, you're the talk of the station again."  
_ "They hired one, they're going to hire another, detective." Oliver says as he walks across the street towards the public library, there was something he wanted to do before his plans tonight.  
 _"_ _Who's the target?"  
_ "I'm trying to find out. I've been hitting dead ends. I need you to put your people on it."  
 _"_ _My people don't work for you. And neither do I come to think of it."_

Oliver rolls his eyes before walking up the steps towards the library "It's not about you and me, detective. It's about saving a life."  
Oliver waits listening to Lance sigh before finally he speaks _"Call me when you get a name."_

Oliver smirks before putting the phone back in his pocket and walking towards the historical section, as he does the first thing he picks up is a book with one name on it which may help him find answers.

 **SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA – THE CURSED TOWN.**


	20. Dead To Rights - Part 3

"Wait what?!" Diggle exclaims into the phone as he speaks with Xander while Willow continues to try and hack into the phone.  
 _"_ _I think it's gonna happen tonight. Look you need to talk to Buffy. She has an invite to that party, I'm getting ready now, she's on her date with Dean call her and tell her to get her ass ready. And get the damn Hood. Just remind me of his name again..."_

Diggle rolls his eyes, every single time "Thanks Harris." He says before closing the phone ignoring Xander's pleas and begging.  
"What's wrong?" Willows asks, as she finally turns away from another failed attempt at getting through the phone.  
"We need to call Buffy. Someone's gonna try and take out Merlyn...tonight."

* * *

"I think Diggle wants me dead." Dean says flatly once the movie him and Buffy had been watching at his apartment comes to an end.  
Buffy chuckles slightly at the abrupt subject before tucking her legs under her as she turns to face him leaning her head on her hand as she tilts her head at him.  
Dean glares at her slightly noticing the amusement on her face "He questioned me a lot Buff."

Buffy shakes her head before moving closer and placing her chin on his shoulder so she could look up into his eyes "He's protective. He's like Big Brother always watching." She laughs slightly before sitting up and swinging her leg around so she could sit herself in his lap _"Always watching"_ She taunts laughing again as she does.  
Dean rolls his eyes as he places his hands on her hips "Comforting blondie."

Buffy smiles teasingly she was enjoying this "You're scared of my brother." She points out as she leans closer smirking down at him.

Dean suddenly grins wickedly as he begins rubbing circles on her hips "Really don't wanna talk about your brother right now." He mumbles before yanking her head forward slamming her lips to his.  
Buffy moans at the contact and runs her hands down his chest quickly reaching for the hem of his shirt as he attempts to deepen the kiss.

Before he can though she pulls back just enough to yank his shirt over his head while he continues grinning at her, she grins back before grabbing the back of his head and pulling him back to her.

He loops his hands under her ass lifting her slightly trying to get her closer if that was even possible and as she gasps slightly his deepens the kiss causing her to moan again.

Buffy's eyes roll back into her head as Dean begins trailing wet kisses down the line of her neck towards her collar bones all while unbuttoning her shirt.  
She chuckles when he fumbles with one of the buttons and quickly pulls back to yank it over her head.

Dean grins at the sight of the shirtless Slayer before grabbing the back of her thighs wrapping them around his waist as he  
stands.

Buffy clutches onto him as their tongues continue to battle for domination, however as he leads her to the bedroom she couldn't help but let out a small giggle as she reaches for his belt only making him inhale sharply.  
Dean smirks before tossing her on the bed and climbing on top of her only making her giggle louder.

As Dean and her continue to lose themselves in each other not once does Buffy notice her phone going crazy with calls from Xander and Diggle.

* * *

Diggle walks into the empty building where he knew Oliver was having his date with McKenna and groans slightly, he didn't want to do this but neither Oliver nor Buffy had been answering their phones.  
And as Diggle really didn't want to have to beat Dean to a pulp if he found him and Buffy together he had chosen to go get Oliver while Willow continued to try and get a hold of Buffy while still working on the phone.

"Excuse me, Mr. Queen. The IT department has that item that you requested."  
Oliver's head shoots up and he looks over at McKenna with a guilty smile "one sec."  
The stunning detective merely smiles "Ok."

Oliver stands and quickly makes his way over to Diggle "You find the target?"  
"Oliver, the target is Tommy's father."  
Oliver's eyes widen "At the awards ceremony? Tommy's there."

Oliver instantly panics, this was his best friend, his brother, he couldn't let him get hurt, turning to the woman that was waiting for him he sighs "Um, McKenna, Mr. Diggle is going to take you home. I have some unexpected business." He quickly crouches down and gives her a chaste kiss but she merely smiles back in understanding "It's ok."

Oliver smiles before quickly walking back over to Dig who tosses him a phone "Call Buffy."  
"What?" Oliver asks in confusion, being careful to keep his voice down as he does.  
"She is going tonight Oliver, Malcolm invited her himself. You're gonna need someone on the ground."

* * *

Buffy stretches slightly in the bed before glancing over at the now fast asleep doctor Dean. She smiles slightly even though she knew she shouldn't be. She was letting him in and that was dangerous for him, for them both.

Sighing she quickly grabs his shirt and slips it on covering herself before she heads into the living room gathering the rest of her clothes.  
As she picks up her jeans she spots her phone on the floor vibrating, grabbing it she tucks the phone in-between her shoulder as she pulls on her pants "Hey Will..."

 _"_ _It's Oliver."_

Buffy frowns in confusion before glancing back at the caller idea, it still said Will, she sighs "Well your using Will's phone so for now you are Will. So sup Willow?"  
 _"_ _Buffy."_ Oliver hisses urgently but she could hear the vulnerability hidden underneath the surface _"Malcolm Merlyn is going to be assassinated tonight. At the benefit."_

"Oh God." She breaths as she glances down at her watch only to curse as she realises she was running behind schedule, she stumbles across the room pulling on one boot after the other as she attempts to grab the garment bag she had brought over with her with her dress for the event.  
"I have an invite I'm just running late, I'm leaving now." She whispers so Dean wouldn't wake as she slowly makes her way to the front door closing it behind her before walking down the hall towards the stairs out of the building.

 _"_ _You see anything let me know. I'll be above ground."  
_ Buffy nods as she runs over to her car tossing her things inside "Got it Hawkeye."  
 _"_ _I'm not Hawkeye."_ He grumbles but she merely rolls her eyes.  
"That's debatable."  
 _"_ _We are not having this argument right now."  
_ "Buzzkill."  
 _"_ _Buffy!"  
_ "Fine!"

* * *

Buffy adjusts the strap on her heels as she quickly makes her way towards the party, adjusting her dress slightly ( /images/hp5Xid) she makes her way through the crowd towards where they all seemed to be gathered watching as Merlyn accepted his award.  
"Over Sparrow?" She whispers as she taps her comms making sure they were working.  
 _"_ _Quit it with the nicknames Buffy!"_ Oliver hisses over the line merely making the blonde roll her eyes as she grabs a glass of champagne "Geez Katniss sorry."

 _"_ _You do realise I don't understand these pop culture references right?"  
_ Buffy couldn't help the small smirk that crossed her lips "That's half the fun...you have no idea when I'm making fun of you."  
 _"_ _I've got a pretty good idea."_

Buffy sighs before shaking her head and continuing through the crowd trying to get as close to the stage as she could so that at any sudden movement she could get to Merlyn.

"Stop distracting me." She hisses into the comms earning an odd look from the person next to her, she quickly rubs her throat and smiles sweetly at the man next to her before turning back to Merlyn.  
 _"_ _Me?! Do you not have any sense of focus!"_

Buffy ignores the Hood and focuses on Merlyn as he begins speaking about his deceased wife which only made Buffy clutch onto her glass tightly as old memories threatened to surface but she pushed them down.

"I like to think that if the man who murdered her knew her, knew the work that she did, knew the person that she was, he would have helped her to her car, made sure she was safe instead of stealing her purse and shooting her."  
Merlyn says bluntly as photographers continue to snap photos "The truth is I haven't done enough for this city, my city. I failed it. But I promise you, I am not finished yet."

As he speaks Buffy glances around the room looking for any suspicious, as she does something catches her eye, or more specifically as woman.

Her eyes widen and slowly Buffy reaches for the Riddick dagger tucked into her dress as she spots the woman who had been behind so much death "China."

* * *

Oliver watches from the top floor as people begin surrounding the stage for Merlyn's acceptance speech, he groans slightly as he glances down at his watch, Buffy was running late. Why he was continuing to allow Willow to convince him to involve Buffy in the missions when the blonde had flat out said no to helping him still confused him.

What confused him more was how she was so good, yes she was in the military but she was a better fighter than anyone he had ever scene and the constant vague talks about her past drew a curious wire in him.  
Suddenly all thoughts and suspicions about who Buffy Summers really was came to a screeching halt as he spots her in the crowd. He inhales sharply not sure as to why but for some reason he needed to catch his breath at the sight of her, she was breathtaking in the grey lace gown.

Her blond hair was flowing in soft waves down her back and he almost chuckled at the sight of the knife she was shielding, if he hadn't known that she had it on her he wouldn't have spotted it, but honestly how she kept sneaking them into these high class events was beyond him.

He freezes however as he spots her reaching for the blade an angry look crossing her face, she was about to go off mission he could see it in her eyes but he couldn't tell why "Buffy what's going on?"  
Before he could get a response off of her his comms screech violently causing him to tear them from his ears just as the lights in building all switch off.

* * *

Buffy freezes on her way to China as the sound of an alarm fills the hall, she groans in annoyance and quickly hides the knife again as she spots guards moving around the room.  
 _"_ _Ladies and gentleman, please exit calmly and quietly to the glass sliding doors."  
_ Buffy sighs before searching around for China only to spot her gone, she spins around the room in a mad search only to freeze as she spots several of the guards hit the ground.

"Oh no." She mumbles before spotting Malcolm walking off, groaning she glances back at China before growling slightly and heading after Merlyn.

"Tommy!" Buffy hears Merlyn scream as he reaches his son before yanking him towards the staircase instead of outside where everyone else was being led.  
Buffy frowns in confusion before glancing up to where Oliver was...or was supposed to be.  
"Dammit Legolas!" She hisses before heading after Malcolm.

* * *

The minute her heels hit the second floor Buffy hears the sound of guns being clocked, her eyes widen in panic, running forward she manages to tackle Tommy and Merlyn to the ground just before any bullets could hit them.  
"Stay down!" Buffy screams as she pushes them both behind the wall.  
"Miss Summers?!" Malcolm yells in shock as she grabs her blade and quickly peaks behind the wall launching it towards the gunman catching on in the hand.  
As his gun drops to the ground Buffy runs and slides along the floor picking up the gun as she goes and immediately she fires on both gunman killing them.

Buffy takes a shaky breath and glances back at Tommy and Merlyn "I was in the army." She says simply when she spots the confused look on Tommy's face.  
She sighs before gesturing to Merlyn "Get him out of here! There will be more."

Merlyn hesitates causing Buffy to roll her eyes as she ducks behind another wall as more gunman appear "Unless you wanna be a flying shiskabab I suggest you move!"

As Buffy quickly takes a shot at the gunman before hiding behind the wall again she glances back at the two men just as Malcolm yanks his son down the hall "We can't just leave her!" She hears Tommy yell before him and his father disappear from sight, Buffy sighs before preparing the take down the next two men only for the glass window opposite hers to shatter as Oliver all dressed up in his green Hawkeye costume came tumbling through it.

Buffy sighs slightly as she watches him take out one of the guards "I had that."  
"You're complaining now!" He hisses as she steps out of her hiding spot and unloads the gun.  
When he frowns at her she rolls her eyes "I don't like guns." She tells him as she grabs her knife out of one of the dead gunman.  
"You were in the army!" He points out as he turns to her not noticing the guard coming up behind him, Buffy smirks before tossing the knife with perfect accuracy right by his face causing it to embed itself in the guards neck "I'm better with blades."

Oliver shakes his head in amusement he couldn't help but smirk at that however that smirk quickly fell as more guards begin surrounding the two of them.  
Buffy spins the blade in her grasp before walking over to Oliver so they were standing back to back "This is gonna be fun." She says with a small smirk making him glare at her "Not liking your definition of fun."

Buffy rolls her eyes before side stepping as one of the guards attacks her she spins around kicking him in the face before forcing her leg into the gut of another guard.

As he stumbles Buffy rolls over his back grasping the back of his neck as she does, as she lands on her feet she yanks him violently over her shoulder causing him to tumble to the ground before she kicked him in the face.  
"Duck!" Oliver yells as her, she quickly drops to the ground just as Oliver spins around knocking out the remaining guards with the butt of his bow.

Buffy stands only to freeze as she hears footsteps behind her "Don't turn around." Oliver whispers harshly at her as he moves to stand in front of her blocking her from view.

Buffy groans in annoyance but doesn't argue she knew exactly who was stood there and if China saw her face she was screwed. Suddenly an idea occurs to her she glances down at her dress and groans. She really liked this one.

"Why do you want Malcolm Merlyn dead?" Oliver yells at China only to hear the tearing of fabric.  
"I'll settle for the two of you." China says as she drops her brunette wig to the ground before glaring at Oliver who clenches his fist.  
"Hood go!" Buffy hisses as she ties the ripped piece of grey fabric around her face covering her mouth and nose.  
"What!?" He hisses in confusion.

Buffy sighs before pushing him out of the way making sure her hair was covering her face blocking him from seeing her "Tommy." She reminds him "She sent guards after him."  
Oliver stares at the blonde for a long moment, he couldn't just leave her here "I'm not gonna—"  
"Go!" She yells once more before sighing "He's your best friend." She reminds him.  
Oliver continues to stare at her worry filling his expression before he clenches his jaw and takes off running towards where Tommy and Malcolm went.

Buffy sighs before turning to China who smirks at her "The woman in red." She breathes smirking slightly "I take it you didn't listen to Marcus."  
Buffy tilts her head and rolls her eyes, this woman really did get on her nerves plus she had tried to shoot her which just ticked her off "You shot at me so I think I owe you a black eye. Tip for tap."

China smirks before twirling her own blades in her hands running at Buffy, Buffy quickly steps out of the way and twirls around coming out behind China, she swings her own blade but China blocks her.  
Buffy growls slightly before grabbing China's arms and yanking her arm over her shoulder yanking on it violently causing China to gasp in pain as she dropped her own blade which Buffy swiftly catches before she kicks China in the stomach sending her flying down the hall.

Buffy runs at China and lifts her up by the throat slamming her into the glass trophy case, as the white haired woman cries out in pain Buffy smirks "Where is Marcus!?"  
China scoffs at the blonde the strength the Slayer possessed not scaring her for even a second, she glares at Buffy before using the only blade she had left and stabbed it into Buffy's arm causing Buffy to cry out and release her hold.

Buffy glares at the woman more furious than before now, she swings her leg out but China grasps it using it to knock Buffy to the ground but the blonde was two quick she quickly flips back up kicking China in the face as she does.

Buffy runs at the woman and leaps up wrapping her legs around China's neck before forcing them both to the ground.  
As Buffy stands she smirks at China "I've indulged this long enough." She says before kicking China across the floor as twirling the blade in her hands.

Buffy freezes as she hears boots coming towards them.

Cops.

She curses and ends up distracted allowing China to grab one of the guns off the ground and hit the fire extinguisher to Buffy's right causing the whole room to fill with a white cloud.

Buffy's eyes widen and she turns to China only to have the woman shoot at her Buffy ducks out of the way but winces in pain as she spots the bullet in her shoulder. She quickly rips the mask from her face and wraps it around her shoulder before standing only to realise that China was gone.

"Shit."


	21. Dead To Rights - Part 4

Oliver runs forward through the hallway the minute he spots the hole in the glass window he panics, running into the room he freezes as he spots a distraught Tommy shaking his bleeding unconscious father beginning him to wake up.

As the glass on the floor crunches under his feet Tommy gasps and turns to face him only to freak out when he spots him standing by the broken glass. Grabbing the gun to his right Tommy quickly aims it at the Hood while standing protectively in front of his father.  
Oliver sighs before raising his arm in defence "I'm not here to hurt you or your father."  
"I said, stay back!" Tommy screams as Oliver bends down picking up a shell casing from the floor.  
Smelling it his eyes widen at the familiar scent "It's curare."

"Don't come any closer." Tommy hisses his hands shaking violently as he keeps the gun aimed at Oliver.  
Oliver quickly stands trying not to startle the scared man "Your father's been poisoned. An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare. I've dealt with this before. We need to dilute the poison in his bloodstream."  
"I said, stay the hell back!" Tommy screams not trusting the guy for a second.

"In three minutes, he's paralysed. In four minutes, he suffocates. If you don't let me help you now, he's dead before anybody gets here."  
Tommy clenches his jaw as his hands continue to shake "Help? How?"  
"Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital. There's a medic here she can keep him alive but he needs blood."  
Tommy glances back at his father before turning back to the Hood, this was completely insane "A blood transfusion? That's insane."  
"It's the only way. He needs your blood. You're out of time. You need to make a decision right now."

Tommy shakes his head and raises the gun again in a panic, anger and worry for his father was fuelling him "Why should I trust you?"  
Oliver takes a deep breath before finally accepting what he needed to do, switching off the voice modulator he slowly turns to Tommy and pulls off his hood looking his best friend in the eye "Because you always have."

"Oliver."

The two continue to stand there for a moment before Oliver hears Buffy enter the room he quickly pulls the Hood back on and glances at her his eyes widening as he spots the blood seeping out of her shoulder.  
Tommy turns to her his face still frozen in shock Oliver sighs before tossing her the emergency medical kit "He needs a blood transfusion."

Buffy catches the bag before running forward she stays quiet clearly she had interrupted something and she really had no interest in getting involved in this bromance drama stuff.  
Running over to Malcolm she opens up the bag and quickly starts setting up the needle quickly she turns to Tommy "Ready rich boy?"  
Tommy glances at the blonde before turning to Oliver as though checking with him, when he nods Tommy turns to Buffy and pulls back his sleeve "Do it."

Buffy nods before quickly putting the needle in one of his veins and, wrapping up his wrist she then turns to Malcolm doing the exact same to him just as blood begins to flow between Tommy to his father.

"Someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" She asks acting like the curious bystander, she knew the minute she spotted Oliver putting the Hood back on that she was to act like she was a clueless blonde. A role which she had affected over the years.  
When no one answers her question Buffy sighs "I need to get the bullet out." She tells Tommy as she stands.

Tommy merely nods and gestures towards the back of the room where the rest of the medical equipment was.

She sighs before glancing at Oliver who nods at her, he needed a moment alone with his best friend "Make sure he stays like that." She tells The Hood gesturing to the line of blood before making her way to the back of the room.  
Tommy looks over at the blonde searching her confused face before he sighs before glancing at his best friend "You're the vigilante. Why?" Tommy asks unsure of what else to say.  
"Later. He's still going to need medical attention to fully clean out his system. There is only so much she can do here. Do you understand?"

Tommy nods before taking a shaky breath still refusing to look his best friend in the eyes as he speaks "Thank you."

As they speaks Buffy watches from the distance until something catches her eyes, stepping forward she bends down and picks up the shell casing from the glass covered floor and brings it to her face.  
Her eyes widen and instantly fill with anger, rage and a whole wave of other emotions, this couldn't be possible.

"He's alive."

"Miss Summers!" Tommy yells drawing Buffy's attention, the blonde's head shoots up and she instantly realises that Oliver was gone.  
Glancing back at the bullet for a second she tucks it into her bra before running over and crouching down in front of Merlyn.

"He's is gonna be okay?" Tommy asks her softly.

Buffy nods and quickly unbuttons Malcolm's shirt so that she could get a better look at the wound "He'll live." She says simply before glancing over at Tommy who smiles gracefully at her as he continues to clutch his father's hand "Thank you Miss Summers."

"Buffy. Call me Buffy."

* * *

Buffy rolls her eyes as sits in the back of the ambulance where they were in checking her shoulder, they had tried to convince her to go to the hospital which had only ended up with the medic getting threatened with bodily harm multiple times and almost peeing his pants which had ended up cheering Buffy right up.  
As one of the guys wraps some gauze around her shoulder Buffy sighs, great that's another scar for her many many scars. Her body was literally a human drawing board for bullets and knifes.

The medic checks the knife wound on her side which wasn't that bad, he merely cleaned it quickly before moving to bandage it but she rolls her eyes at his shaky hands and takes it herself.  
"I can do it Ronald." She tells him before he quickly runs off, honestly she didn't believe she was that scary, but then again Xander had always said she was scariest when her clothes got destroyed.  
Sighing as she wraps the bandage around her she glances over to where Tommy was talking to Detective Lance and McKenna.

When Tommy covers for Oliver Buffy sighs before realising that he was approaching her "Are you okay?" He asks her causing her to frown in confusion, why was he checking on her.  
"Fine other than the agonising pain."  
Tommy chuckles "Using sarcasm is a good sign." He pauses for a moment and looks at her with a gratefully smile "Thank you Buffy for saving my father and me. I'm sorry you got shot."  
"And stabbed." Buffy says with a chuckle "Can't forget that."  
"Sorry." He tells her honestly before smiling "I can't thank you enough."

* * *

Five Years Ago - Boston

"Angel's a vampire. He'll be fine." Buffy says strongly trying to convince herself as her and Gunn sit in the coffee shop opposite her apartment.  
Gunn chuckles at the small blonde opposite him, she was cooler than he thought, but then again Cordy had always said she was lame.

"How many more times you gonna say that girly?" He asks her as she rolls her eyes at him before leaning back in her seat.  
She groans slightly, she hated the fact that she couldn't be selfish right now, "What happened?" She asks hesitantly making Gunn grin.

"No idea. He disappeared. We're starting from point zero. We're going old school detective in this."  
Buffy sighs before running a hand through her hair, after a moment she holds out her hand towards Gunn "Old School it is."

Gunn chuckles before shaking her hand "Alright then Sherlock we're do we start?"

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

"You sure you're okay?" Oliver asks Buffy as they walk down the stairs towards the foundry, he was worried about her not that he would admit that but when she had run into Merlyn's panic room covered in blood he had frozen for a brief moment. He cared about her, she was a friend. Nothing more than a friend. He repeats the phrase in his head while she merely shrugs.

"I'm fine Nancy pants." Buffy assures him as she taps him on the back before pulling the door to the foundry open, it wasn't that she didn't appreciate the worry but honestly it was more shocking than anything.  
Buffy and Oliver walk into the Foundry and almost immediately both Willow and Diggle turn to Buffy with a worried frown.

"What the hell happened?" Dig asks in a panic as he approaches the blonde and places a hand on her cheek staring at her in worry, she was pail and the bandages that he could see on her made him worry, she needed to be more careful.

Buffy smiles slightly and leans into Dig's hand before wrapping her hand around his "I'm fine." She assures him giving his hand a gentle squeeze.  
He sighs before stepping back allowing Buffy to turn to Willow.

Willow stares at the bullet wound on Buffy's shoulder with wide eyes before she looks up at her smiling best friend. Instead of hugging her Willow slaps Buffy's arm right where the wound was causing the blonde to cry out in pain "Ow! Why?!"  
Willow merely glares at her best friend "You are not allowed to get shot!"  
Buffy rolls her eyes before glancing at the guys to help her out but they merely raise their hands and back away neither one of them wanting to anger the redhead.  
Buffy sighs before jumping up to sit on the table "Can we quit it with the yell at Buffy day please?"

Willow sighs before turning to Oliver with a small smile "So how's it feel to be a one-percenter?"  
Diggle chuckles before glancing in-between Buffy and Oliver "Looks like Malcolm Merlyn is going to be ok. They took him to Starling General."  
Buffy nods "Yeah thank god for that bullet proof vest otherwise he would have been covered in flies bout now."

When everyone in the room turns to her in confusion she leans back slightly uncomfortable "You know—cause dead bodies attract..." When non of them seem amused with this she groans in embarrassment "Never mind."  
Oliver sighs before turning to Buffy, he knew that she had found the bullet with curare, she turns and catches his eye, when he merely stares at her she sighs sadly before turning to Dig.

"Dig...the bullet that hit Merlyn. It was laced curare."

Diggle freezes his jaw clenches at the reality of the situation hits him, the man who had murdered his brother in cold blood was alive, he steps away from the group and moving away from Buffy as she takes a step towards him.  
"Lawton's alive." He breaths allowing the words to finally cross his lips.

"Dig." Buffy breaths sadly as she takes a step towards him but he merely shakes his head needing time and backs away out of the Foundry.

Buffy for the first time in so long fills water filling her eyes she takes a shaky breath and clenches her eyes shut. When she feels a strong hand resting on her shoulder she inhales softly taking comfort in the act of support before she glances over at Oliver and offers him a small smile.  
"I'm gonna—" She starts but he merely nods his head in understanding before watching as she heads up the stairs away from them.

"This Lawton kick his dog or something?" Willow asks Oliver in confusion she hadn't seen Buffy upset like that in years and honestly that was the most emotion she had ever seen on Diggle's face.  
"Nope." Oliver says with the shake of his head "He killed his brother."

* * *

"Our lives are complicated." McKenna says in annoyance as her and Oliver speak in the hospital hallway.  
Oliver nods as he continues to watch her waiting to see where she was going to go with this "But I'm willing to figure us out if you are." She tells him as she finally turns and allows herself to look him in the eye.

Slowly a small smile comes to his lips "Willing and able." He tells her causing her to grin.

However before he could kiss her like he had planned she was quickly pulled away from her detective duties or something like that. Oliver shakes his head in amusement before he spots familiar blonde hair making their way across the hall. He frowns in confusion, Buffy was supposed to be at home resting yet she was in her uniform. He sighs knowing Diggle would kill him if he found out that Oliver had not stopped her from working.

He moves to follow her only to frown in confusion as he spots her speaking to a doctor at the end of the hall with light brown slightly dark blonde hair.  
Curiosity gets the better of him and Oliver knowing that he shouldn't be eavesdropping does exactly that.

"I heard you saved the guy." The Doctor says to her as he places a hand on Buffy's shoulder making Oliver realise that this must be the _maybe boyfriend_ Willow had told them about.

Buffy chuckles nervously "Yeah..."  
"And you got shot and stabbed." He finishes flatly cutting her off but the worry was evident in his voice.  
Buffy smiles awkwardly "Would you believe me if I said I was fine?"  
"No."

Buffy sighs before stepping forward and taking his hand placing it over her heart "See totally touchable and alive and fine. Promise. I'm not going anywhere."  
Dean sighs slightly before looking at her seriously "I woke up and you were gone..." He lets out a small humorless chuckle "...that's normally my thing."  
Buffy laughs slightly before pulling away from Dean and beginning to head down the hall "You're gonna have to get used to a little change."

Oliver watches as the blonde walks down the hall towards the ambulance before sighing, he clenches his jaw before groaning and heading towards the door suddenly feeling a small amount of annoyance filling him.

He just wasn't sure where the hell it had came from.

* * *

"We have a traitor in our midst." Malcolm hisses the second Tommy leaves him and Moira alone in the hospital room "I want you to find out who."  
Moira's eyes widen for a spilt second as she realises what exactly her failed attempt at taking out Malcolm meant.

"He just made his last mistake."

* * *

"That's everything?" Diggle asks flatly his voice void of all emotion as Xander finishes filling him in on everything he had discovered while spying on Moira for the past few weeks.  
Xander nods and tosses the file to the ground "For now yeah."  
Diggle sighs as he glances at the file before leaning back against the wall, he couldn't do this right now, honestly he wanted to be pounding on a punching bag more than anything else.

Xander frowns he may not know Diggle well but he could tell that something was wrong "You alright there Dig?"  
"I'm fine." The bodyguard says sharply leaving no room for argument, Xander nods swiftly not really wanting to admit the fact that the very buff bodyguard could be a little scary.

"You gonna tell Oliver he's mom's basically Cersei Lannister?"

Diggle arches a brow at the ex-carpenter before allowing his thoughts to wonder, he had seen what had happened last time he had confronted Oliver about his mother, to say it had not gone well was an understatement.  
"Not till we have more proof, he won't listen to reason, he will want something concrete."

* * *

"My dad's going to be ok, thanks to you and that medic." Tommy informs Oliver as he continues to stare at the wall outside his father's room while Oliver approaches him but he refuses to look at the man he had called his best friend for so long.  
"It's thanks to you." Oliver argues as he walks closer but Tommy still refused to look at him.  
"I once asked you what happened to you on that island." Tommy says quietly clearly angry about the betrayal from the person he had thought of as a brother "That doesn't quite cover it."  
Oliver eyes widen "Tommy—"  
"I saw you kill those guys who kidnapped us when you first got back, didn't I?"

Oliver goes silent and he watches as Tommy clenches his eyes shut before staring at the ground, he had never wanted this to happen, Tommy was never meant to find out about the monster he had become.  
"I—I know you have a lot of questions." Oliver stutters out nervously unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah." Tommy breathes out struggling to get the words out as he does "Yeah, but for now, just the one." Finally he turns to his best friend looking him dead in the eye "Were you ever gonna tell me?"  
Oliver freezes contemplating whether or not to lie in this situation but he knew either way this wasn't going to go well so he needed to tell the truth "No."

Instantly Tommy pushes away from the wall before walking straight past Oliver without another glance at his old friend.

* * *

After work Buffy was sat in Diggle's apartment sitting across from him on the couch with her legs folded as she continued to stare at him with a worried frown.  
Sighing she leans forward and rests her head against his shoulder trying to comfort him despite the fact that she didn't know how "We'll find him." She whispers making a promise that she ended on keeping if it was the death of her "And we'll make sure he stays dead this time."

Diggle pulls away from her and glances down at her looking her in the eyes as he does "How can you be so sure?"  
Buffy takes his hands in hers and ignores the water in her eyes as she looks at him allowing him to see the vulnerability inside of her that only he was allowed to see "I promise you even if it kills me I'll find him."

At her words Diggle shakes his head, she didn't get it, he couldn't lose her, she was the most important person in his life he had already lost Andy, losing her would crush him "You don't get it do you? You don't care about getting hurt?!" He says his voice increasing slightly as he does "I have carried you back half dead in my arms too many times to count Buffy!" He yells now getting more angry at the moment, he stands and faces her causing her to look up at him with wide eyes.

"You almost died in my arms!" He yells remembering back to that night he had found her in the construction pit "You almost died getting shot when you pushed me out of the way years ago...you keep getting hurt putting yourself at risk and you don't care!"  
Buffy flinches at his loud voice before taking a shaky breath as he continues, she couldn't find it in herself to speak so she merely listened.

"But do you know how I'll feel?" He asks her not really wanting an answer so he merely continued "If you die, If I lose you like I lost Andy...I'll be devastated."  
Buffy takes a deep breath before finally standing not even realising that tears had fallen down her cheeks.

She looks up at the man who had basically become her rock, her best friend, her brother and leans forward wrapping her arms around him tightly.


	22. The Huntress Returns - Part 1

Buffy sits on the floor of her room, leaning against the door as she rests the piece of paper in her lap, slowly she lowers her pencil and stares at the image in front of her. She had tried to draw the Dark Archer from memory but the main issue was that she couldn't draw, honestly her trying to make a stick figure would have been more useful. Groaning she stands and tosses the drawing on her desk, where hundreds of scrolls were laid, scrolls from the league, all written in Arabic, which guess what, she wasn't that good at either.

Sighing she flops down onto her bed before picking up the book next to her, no matter how hard she searched she should have realised by now that Ras was smart enough to make sure there was no trace of anyone's true identities.

Which left her utterly and totally screwed.  
Grabbing a pillow Buffy lays it over her face before screaming in frustration.

"Geez, who died?" A peppy voice asks from the doorway causing the blonde to lower the pillow and frown when she spots her cousin standing there staring at her with an amused expression.  
"Felicity?" Buffy asks in confusion, she wasn't supposed to be here till later, didn't she have work, Willow had work.

"Hey Buff." The blonde genius says with a grin as she jumps onto the bed next to her cousin before looking at the bullet wound "Cool. Is that a bullet wound? Did it hurt? I thought you healed fast? Shouldn't it be gone now I mean otherwise what is the point of your fast healing, oh is it gonna scar like the others—actually how did you get those were they—"

Felicity is cut off from her babble as Buffy groans "Fel-i-city" She says slowly drawing out her cousin's name, the annoyance evident in her tone, but clearly the other blonde was choosing to ignore the annoyance, as she merely frowns in confusion "What?"

Buffy sighs before moving the papers from the league off of the bed and into her arms to avoid her cousin looking at them and asking a billion questions. However the latter was unstoppable.  
Felicity taps Buffy's bullet wound only making the slayer glare at her, so the blonde adjusts her glasses before continuing with her questioning "So you fought the woman with white hair?"

Buffy sighs before standing from the bed and placing her paper work on the table, she loved her cousin, but she obviously talked more than Buffy could deal with and that was saying something considering how long the veteran slayer had lived with Dawn.  
"Yes, Lis."

Felicity nods before picking up the stuffed pig on the bed and placing it on her lap, as she continues to question her older cousin "Did you win?"  
Buffy arches a brow in amusement "She ran off and I got shot, what do you think?"  
"Not the stereotypical version of winning?" Felicity mumbles with a shrug before she picks up the old looking book on Buffy's bed, honestly it looked like a million years old "So what's this?"

Buffy sighs again before taking the book off her talkative cousin and trying to change the topic "Don't you have work?"  
"Yep so..."  
Buffy rolls her eyes "Go to work Felicity."  
"But..."  
"Go."

At the resolve face on her cousin's face Felicity pouts, she tries to hide her hurt expression as she nods and makes her way out of the room.

Walking into the living room she spots Xander standing by the kitchen counter drinking his coffee, when he raises his eyes and spots her he sighs sadly "Didn't go well?"  
Felicity shakes her head before grabbing her bag and heading towards the door, before she left though she turns back to the young man "She's never gonna trust me is she?"

At the young woman's hurt expression Xander couldn't help but inhale sharply, he had been where she was once, when Buffy had first started to close herself off from everyone, he knew the struggle the blonde was going through, but considering Buffy was literally her family he could only imagine how much more it hurt.

So he did the only thing he knew how to...he told her the truth "Honestly...I don't think she'll ever trust anyone again."

* * *

As Oliver shows McKenna around his newly rebuilt nightclub he couldn't help but smile at her astonished reaction, it appeared that he could do more than just shoot people with arrows.

"So will you be my date tomorrow night?" He asks curiously causing her to turn to face him with a small smirk on her face.  
"Is a club opening a proper date?" She teases.  
Oliver smiles at the beautiful cop in front of him "I certainly hope so." He breathes out hoping she would say yes. When she stays silent he tilts his head slightly "Is that a yes?" He questions.

McKenna merely shakes her head at him after a moment of contemplation "No." She says quickly before stepping forward and placing a soft kiss to his lips, causing him to smile into the exchange.  
"That's a yes." McKenna teases with a grin as she pulls away from the kiss before strolling away.

* * *

Buffy leaps across the rooftop as she makes her way through the Glades, using streets like a normal person was totally last season. Plus it was faster to leap across buildings and funnier.

As she rolls across the floor coming to a stop from yet another leap she pauses and stands dusting the dirt and dust from her uniform before running towards the edge of the building. There had been a stabbing a few streets down and given the amount of traffic there was no way in hell she would make it in time if she took the ambulance. So here she was running across rooftops.

Suddenly her feet come to a violent stop "Okay maybe Felicity has a point about the vigilante thing."  
She sighs in annoyance, she did not want to be a vigilante, hell she hadn't wanted to wear that damn suit in the first place, but had only agreed because she didn't want anymore scars and then Xander added that stupid mask before she could object.

She couldn't help but sigh in amusement as she remembered back to the look of a gleeful child Xander had expressed seeing her in the suit ,which had only made her roll her eyes at that time.  
Taking a deep breath Buffy smiles at the happy memory, it was nice having this small moment without any pain or misery filling her. But then again she was Buffy Anne Summers and her luck really did suck.

Just as the thought came to her, her body went crashing into a concrete pillar on the other side of the roof. Two of her right ribs shattering on the impact making her cry out in pain and clutch them with her arm as she rolled into a ball on the cold floor.

She takes a gasping breath before turning to face her attack only to groan in annoyance and slam her head on the ground lightly when she spots the man above her.

"Can't you stay dead for even a little while?" She hisses in annoyance as she grabs the scythe and stands preparing to fight with the death defying man once again.  
"Down girl." Marcus chuckles before kicking her across the face causing her to grunt painfully and go crashing face first back into the pillar.  
When she turns and glares at him he merely smiles before crossing his arms "I'm not here to fight. This is business."

Buffy stares at him for a long moment, he was seriously nuts, "Really?" She asks quirking an eyebrow as she stared at the giant man, well he was only a giant to her because she was so short but still.

Marcus smiles politely before dusting off his suit and pulling a photo out of his pocket holding it up for the Slayer to see, at the sight of the photo Buffy's eyes widen. It was an image of her and Felicity having lunch from a few weeks ago.  
Buffy's eyes glaze over in fury "I swear to God if you touch her..."  
"We don't intend to hurt your dear cousin Miss Summers." Marcus comments cutting the growling Slayer off before she could attempt to rip out his throat.

"Wolfram and Hart merely would like to remind you how much we value family...and we know how much the loss can be tragic."

At his words Buffy's fist clenches harder around the scythe as she watches him slowly leave the roof, it was taking every ounce of strength not to attempt to rip out his throat...with her teeth. She wanted him dead but she knew what he was doing, he was threatening her family. Xander, Willow, Dig...and Felicity. Him having that photo of her and her cousin meant they knew about the people in her life that she cared about. Which meant that she needed to make sure that they were safe.

She couldn't risk losing anyone else.

* * *

Diggle sighs sadly as he listens to Oliver, yes he was happy that Oliver was finally not focusing his entire life on getting the bad guys and was actually hoping to make things work in his personal life. With McKenna.

But Diggle knew he couldn't keep what he had found from Oliver, so turning his head back towards the computer screen he pulls up the file "Well, it's the bad girls that I'm worried about."  
The smile that had previously been on his face falls as he spots the security footage on the screen, there holding a man at gun-point was his ex.

"Helena."

"Yeah...or as I like to call her, your psycho ex-girlfriend." Diggle informs him, he still to this day hated this woman "This was taken at Alley Cats, the strip joint. The police report lists the stiff's name as Gus Sabatoni." He informs his partner just as Helena pulls the trigger on the screen, killing the man.

Oliver clenches his jaw and turns away from the screen "Bertinelli's lawyer. Why would she come back to Starling City just for him?" He asks curiously as he begins pacing around the room trying not to stare at the screen that was burning an image in his skull "It's not like he did a good job."

Diggle groans in annoyance, he was still protecting her even after just watching her murder a man in cold blood "Her father's serving consecutive life sentences without parole. Come on Oliver, we both knew this was just a matter of time." He stands approaching his friend trying his hardest to get him to see the truth "You tried to help her, you couldn't. Now the only question is how long before she drops a dime on you, me, this whole operation?"

* * *

Buffy clutches her side as she falls flat on her face on the balcony outside her apartment, as she lands on the ground she knocks over a plant causing the vase to shatter making her wince at that sound.

She knew she had about 3 seconds till all hell broke loose.

3...

2...

1...

On 1 a panicked Xander and Felicity run out from the living room and onto the balcony, at the sight of the blonde Felicity gasps and quickly crouches down beside her.  
"BB, are you okay? What happened? You told me you were at work? Why—why did you..."

At her cousin's rambling Buffy sighs before pushing herself up so that she was crouched in front of her "Fe-lic-ity" She says slowly before smiling kindly at her cousin "I'm fine, okay just a little banged up."

When Felicity merely stares at her cousin unconvinced Buffy smiles before hesitantly leaning forward and taking Felicity's hand in her own "I'm okay." She assures her again, before the whole reason she had rushed home came back to her.

Quickly standing ignoring the pain in her side Buffy grabs Felicity and Xander by the arm, yanking them into the apartment.  
Quickly pushing them both further into the room Buffy quickly slams the balcony door shut locking it before moving towards their emergency lockdown system.

Metal bars drop down in front of the glass balcony door causing both Felicity and Xander's eyes to widen.  
Xander turns to Buffy in shock "What-huh-how-what-when?" He stutters out in confusion, he had no idea Buffy had installed any of this.

Buffy sighs before walking into the kitchen and grabbing the plastic foil from the draw "Wrap and I'll explain." She says to her cousin holding out the foil towards her.  
Felicity sighs before grabbing the foil and carefully wrapping it around Buffy's bruising stomach as the Blonde holds up her shirt.

Buffy winces slightly before glances over at Xander "Marcus knows about all of you..." Buffy gulps before looking over at her cousin "...even you Felicity."

Xander's eyes widen in panic "What he came after you?! Did he do this to you?!" He asks with a worried tone, not liking the idea that this psycho kept being the reason his best friend ended up hurt.  
Buffy sighs not wanting to get into specifics right now "He threatened all of you. Marcus knows that there are people in my life I care about. I'm not risking you getting hurt."

Felicity glances over at her cousin, despite the fact that this psycho now knowing about her terrified her more than anything, she knew what her cousin wanted to do. She wanted them to run but she couldn't do that, she had only just gotten her family back and if Felicity Smoak believed in anything, it was that you never left family behind.

"I am not leaving you...I just found you."

At her words Buffy sighs but her lip tilted up slightly, almost forming a smile, it felt nice to have an actual member of her family back in her life again, one who was speaking to her. So going against her natural instinct to avoid all human contact she steps forward and wraps her arms around her younger cousin "I'll never let anyone hurt you." She whispers as she runs a hand through her cousin's hair.

Felicity who was stunned to silence lets out a small sob and smiles happily as she hugs the other blonde tightly "Me either."


	23. The Huntress Returns - Part 2

"Look who's back." Thea says happily as she spots her brother walk into the living room.  
Oliver smiles at his sister only for that smile to instantly fall as he spots the woman currently sitting with his sister, Helena.

Thea smiles not noticing Oliver's discomfort "She was just telling me all about your first date at Rousseau's.  
Oliver doesn't even glance at his smirking sister as he focuses on his ex who was smiling at him "Hello, Oliver."

Oliver clenches his jaw forcing a smile, it taking everything in his not to haul this woman away from his little sister.

"Oh, Ollie..." Thea says trying to draw her brother's attention "I kind of have this pseudo-friend that's looking for a job. I was wondering if the club's still hiring."  
Oliver nods "Yes, of course." He says quickly hoping that by agreeing she would leave the room and go somewhere safe "Talk to Tommy. As a matter of fact, you can go upstairs and call Tommy right now."

Thea smiles happily before thanking her brother and quickly exiting the room leaving the ex-couple alone.

Once he was sure his sister was out of hearing distance Oliver turns to the raven haired beauty "Where you been?" He asks curiously as he slowly approaches her.  
Helena smiles softly before pausing "Um...Barcelona, Monaco, Budapest. I just needed to forget who I was and how much I missed you."

Oliver ignores his old feelings for the woman in front of him burying it down deep as he keeps his face void of emotion "You mean like you missed Gus Sabatoni?" As her face falls he sighs "I thought you were done with your father's organisation, Helena. Because he's serving consecutive life sentences in Iron Heights Prison. You got your revenge."

Helena looks up at him with desperation in her eyes, still to this day she was hoping to get him to see things her way "He just cut a deal with the Justice Department to testify against the East Coast family. In 48 hours, witness protecting will give him a new name, a new life, and he'll be off the grid forever. Untraceable."

Oliver steps closer and shakes his head, he knew what she was doing and he wouldn't fall for it again "I'm sorry."  
"My father doesn't deserve a second chance, a second life. And I can't—I can't take on a phalanx of US Marshals. Not without help."  
Oliver glares down at her slightly, not even considering what she was suggesting "No. It's murder. Not justice.  
Helena rolls her eyes slightly "Look I get you replaced me with that red wearing blonde but Oliver..."

"What?" He asks cutting her off as he stared at her in shock, she couldn't be talking about the Woman in Red, he had spent months searching for any clue but yet there was nothing.  
Helena frowns in confusion before sighing "Look whatever she's told you..."  
"This has nothing to do with her..." He starts only for his mother to enter the room causing him to pause and plaster a smile on his face.

* * *

Five Years Ago

"And we can't ask Wesley for help because...?" Buffy asks in confusion as her and Gunn flip through files in her living room with no results. They had been looking for weeks and they had had no new leads on Angel's whereabouts, it was like he had vanished into thin air.

Gunn sights before running a hand over his scalp and turning to face the perky blonde "Not a good idea..." At her confused and curious look he raises a hand cutting her off before the words could even leave her lips "Don't ask."  
Buffy groans before flopping down onto the couch in frustration "All of these dead ends make my head hurt." She moans before rubbing her head softly.

Gunn chuckles before offering her a glass of whiskey but she merely groans at the sight of the liquid.  
"Ew." She mumbles making him chuckle before he turns back to the files.

As he glances down at the files Buffy stands back up and begins pacing around the room trying to force all the horrible thoughts about what could be happening to Angel out of her head "Okay...I'll call Willow see if we can get a tracker spell going."

Gunn sighs and glances up at the blonde "And if that doesn't work?"  
Buffy smirks "Then we get to beat up a snitch."

* * *

Starling City – Present Day

Buffy groans at the music filling the streets, which, was clearly coming from the new club Verdant. She rolls her eyes as she watches drunks stumble out of the club onto the cold streets below her.

She scoffs slightly remembering a time where that would have sounded appealing to her, going to a club opening, but now the version of her that imagined that was long gone. It was a different life.

 _"B you okay?"_ Felicity's perky voice asks through the comms causing Buffy to shake her head away from the bright green neon lights of the club back to the roof ahead of her.

"I'm good." Buffy mumbles back before running across the rooftop leaping onto the next building's roof rolling across the concrete as she lands.  
Standing slowly she quickly spots the entrance and yanks the door off it's hinges before making her way down the stairs.

 _"You know I could have opened that right?"_

Buffy smirks slightly "What's the fun in that?" She teases her cousin before pushing open another door leading her into a long hallway, which honestly was giving her flashes of The Shining. Not really something she wanted.

 _"Second door on your right."_ Felicity informs the blonde Vampire Slayer who merely mumbles in response before making her way down the creepy hallway.

As she moves through the hall Buffy can't stop the tingles going down her back, something was off about this place she could feel it, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up straight as she wondered through the hall.

Buffy pauses as she gets to the door and closes her eyes, the second she hears a gasp of pain and a terrified sob her eyes widen, kicking the door open she watches as the metal door flies across the room. Her eyes widen at the sight before her, her target a female law attorney was currently pinning a young girl down to the ground as she raised a blade to cut her throat.

Buffy reacts quick and launches the scythe from her grasp and sending it flying towards the demon woman, the blade slices through the demon's hand causing a large wail to escape from her.

Buffy groans in agony as she feels a pounding fill her head, it felt like a hundred knives were stabbing the inside of her head.

Clutching her ears she falls to her knees before glancing over at the demon woman, grey hair was now growing from her roots and nails like razorblades began to grow from her finger tips.

 _"The wailing woman!"_ Felicity screams in her head causing Buffy to groan in pain.  
"What?!"  
Felicity sighs in worry _"A banshee Buffy! She's a banshee, if she screams again it could kill you!"_

Buffy gulps before slowly standing as the banshee stops screaming, pulling her hands away from her ears Buffy winces at the sight of the blood now on her finger tips.

Groaning Buffy takes a shaky breath before turning back to the wailing woman "Hey grandma!" She calls drawing the demon's attention away from the young crying girl who had seemed to have passed out at the sight of the blood.

"May be time to find a new hairdresser, you're roots are on display." Buffy sasses with a small smirk "I can recommend you a new one cause honey your in desperate need of some work."

The Banshee glares at the blonde "Pretty little Slayer. So young and stupid." She hisses as she makes her way towards the Slayer "We're much alike our kind."  
Buffy arches a brow "Really? Yeah cause I totally see myself looking like a bad rip off of a Charmed villain in a few years." She says sarcastically before leaping over the banshee and grabbing the scythe.

The Banshee chuckles "No...we're bargainers of death. Everything we care about dies. Especially the people around us."

At her words Buffy falters slightly but tightens her grasp on the sigh as the Banshee continues "Much like your red-headed friend, or the goofy man child...or how about the ex-solider or even the blonde with glasses. All the people you care about."

Buffy growls slightly she could feel herself about to snap.

 _"Buffy calm down! She's trying to make you angry, the Banshee lives off pain, anger and fear...you're feeding her power"_

Buffy ignores her cousin's voice in her head and focuses on the demon woman who merely smirked at her "Dead dead dead." The banshee teases "Four heads roll across the floor." She sings playfully as though she was singing a child's song making Buffy gag slightly "Lover's heads roll...one two three...handsome doctor kind and brilliant, his head rolled and soon the dark haired moose..."

Buffy's eyes widen at that, this woman was threatening all of her people, while brining up memories of people she didn't want to think about.

She could vaguely hear her cousin's voice in the back of her head but Buffy couldn't focus on it anymore as she ran forward swinging the scythe at the banshee.

The demon smirks before running at the blonde and grasping a long clawed hand around Buffy's neck.

Buffy grunts before kicking the banshee in the knee, she then kicks her in the gut before wrapping her leg around her neck and twisting through the air causing the banshee woman to go crashing to the ground.  
Buffy lands in a crouch and turns to face the banshee her eyes widen as the banshee raises her arms towards her before screaming causing bursts of invisible waves to leave her hands hitting Buffy right in the chest sending her flying through the air.

Buffy grunts in agony as she hits the ground before growling and running at the banshee she leaps up kicking the demon in the chest before twirling the scythe and dropping to her knee, spinning across the ground just before driving the scythe into the demons gut.

Buffy grins as blood splatters on her face she stands ignoring the dripping blonde on her cheek and punches the banshee in the face before pinning her against the wall and hitting her again and again.

"You don't get to threaten the people in my life and life!" Buffy hisses as she continues to hit the beast long after it's death.  
 _"Buffy! Buffy!"_ Felicity's voice screams through her head before suddenly it was just in her head.

"Buffy Stop!" Buffy pauses her fist freezing in mid air at the sound of her cousin's voice, she keeps a hold of the Banshee's throat.

Felicity gulps slightly as she stares at her furious cousin who was still clutching the dead demon, she swallows her discomfort and steps forward placing a hand on her cousin's shoulder "She's dead. She's not gonna hurt anyone. She's not gonna hurt us. Let her go."

Buffy gulps before taking a shaky breath and releasing the banshee, she turns back to her cousin and grasps her arm pulling her from the room "Go back to the car now Liz." Buffy orders before moving back to help the girl in the other room.

Felicity stands there stunned for a moment before sighing as she watches Buffy walk back towards her with the young girl in her arms "We gonna talk about it?"  
"Nope." Buffy answers as she again drags her cousin back to the awaiting van outside.

* * *

"Dig?" Oliver calls as he enters the foundry just underneath the filled dance club only to freeze at the sight before him, Helena had Tommy pinned face first against the table in the middle of the room while she held his right arm in the air prepared to snap it like a twig at any wrong move.  
"Let him go." Oliver hisses angrily hating the fact that his best friend was now in danger because of him "He has nothing to do with this."

He takes several hesitant steps forward trying not to anger the crazy raven haired woman, he couldn't risk her hurting Tommy.  
"I told you." Helena hisses "Oliver, I warned you."  
"Helena this isn't you." Oliver yells carefully as he spots her yanking harder on Tommy's arm.

Helena completely ignores him as she continues to try and convince him of her insane cause "My father is a mobster and a murderer. It is not like you haven't killed me like that before."  
"And I tried to teach you to obtain your objective without killing."  
Helena continues to glare at him with desperation and insanity in her eyes, she had truly lost her mind, Oliver could see it clearly now "By applying pressure." She continues "By exploiting someone's weakness."  
She yanks on Tommy's arm again causing the young man to cry out in agony, his scream filling the room making Oliver's eyes widen in panic.

* * *

"This looks insane." Felicity points out as she stares at the insanity board Willow, Buffy and Xander had spent the past few months putting together.

Felicity adjusts her glasses before moving along the length of the board examining all of the photos and clues the three friends had managed to find already.

The red strings connecting to the question mark in the centre of the board was drawing her attention "What's that?" She asks Xander curiously as her hand hovers from the Wolfram and Hart symbol in the middle to the question mark.

Xander sighs running a hand through his raggedy hair before facing the board "From what we know so far Wolfram and Hart is funding something in Starling City something big. They've got China White and god knows what or who else in their pockets. They've got someone hiding their demons in power positions all over Starling City and I'm starting to think that it's someone with more power than China, but my guess Wolfram and Hart owes them a big favor."

Felicity chuckles slightly "Hence them being the money hoppers."

Xander smiles slightly before turning to face the blonde Smoak Summers woman, as he watches her he watches as the wheels seem to turn in her head.

"Wolfram and Hart were a law firm right?" She asks curiously as she turns to face her new-found friend.

Xander nods causing Felicity to begin tapping the board as the wheels spin in her head, "If Wolfram and Hart were a law firm mainly based in L.A then there would have had to file as a Private or Public Limited Company to blend in around human organisations. That means all the paperwork, everything that a company has to file, subject reports, payments, bills, client information hell ownership of property...there would be evidence of it. Xander everything these days is kept online, there is always a trail, if I can find something connected to Wolfram and Hart I can find where they are sending their money from...and who it's going to."

Xander's eyes widen as her words finally start to sneak in, if she was able to find out where Wolfram and Harts money was going to then they could find out about the secret project they were protecting, they could find out exactly why they were in Starling City and what they were planning "What do you need?"

Slowly a small grin crosses Felicity's face making her look so much like Buffy as she does "Xander I'm a Summers we can do anything with wifi"


	24. The Huntress Returns - Part 3

Buffy continues to stare at the wall in front of her as she plays with the food on her plate while Willow yammers on about something to do with programming. Honestly, she was talking the wrong Summers.  
The blonde continues to stare at the wall as thoughts about what had happened last night continue to plague her, she had lost control. Last night she had lost control and let her anger take over, there was something about this town and this mission that was making her weak.

Clenching her jaw slightly she feels her grasp tighten around her mug as she brings it to her lips.

Willow who was digging into her curly fries freezes in her actions as she notices the subtle changes from Buffy whenever Buffy was feeling tight or wound up she would tense up and things would start breaking, the red head could practically see the cracks forming around the mug as Buffy's grasp tightened.  
"Alright there Buff? You're Buffness is showing." She says gesturing to the mug causing Buffy's eyes to widen and her to quickly place it back on the table.

Taking a deep breath Buffy smiles brightly "Yeah fine." She tries but clearly Willow wasn't buying it.

Willow chuckles slightly before leaning onto her elbows and looking at her best friend with an arched brow "Felicity told me what happened? Are we gonna talk about it?"

Buffy gulps slightly, she didn't want to talk about her loss of control last night, she didn't want to think about it, because every time she did her anger just got worse.

"Nope." She says sweetly before taking a sip of her drink and smiling brightly, playing the part of the happy blonde perfectly...if Willow had been a stranger and not her best friend she would have been fooled by it.  
So instead Buffy decided to change the subject "So how are things at the arrow-cave?" Buffy teases as she leans forward resting her chin on her hands.

Willow chuckles slightly "Well, Oliver's evil ex is in town."  
"The one I punched in the face?" Buffy asks with an arched brow.  
"Yep."  
Buffy chuckles slightly, he seriously had strange taste in women "Great the purple power puff bitch edition fun."

* * *

After being practically forced to agree to help Helena, Oliver stands opposite Diggle who was still scoffing at any explanation that Oliver provided.

Dig didn't trust Helena for good reason and he couldn't believe that Oliver would willingly help her let alone defend her actions, which he was currently doing.

Oliver sighs before glancing at his friend and partner "Are you going to sit there and tell me you don't know what it's like to want revenge?"  
Diggle clenches his jaw at that, Oliver was treading dangerous territory there.

"What would you do?" The vigilante continues "Hm, if Floyd Lawton was standing right there?"

Diggle glares at his friend but swallows his anger trying to stay focused on their topic of discussion "Nothing that would involve blackmailing you into hunting him down."

Oliver sighs "You're right okay?" He finally admits "I can't kill her. And I can't take her to the police and risk her exposing all of this. She knows too much Dig, she knows about the woman in Red..." At those words Diggle freezes remembering back to Buffy admitting that she had sort of threatened Helena last time the woman was in town, hiding his reaction he tries to focus on Oliver as he continues to speak "But...at least if I'm involved I can contain her. All right? I can find out more about the woman in red and I can minimize the collateral damage."

The sound of heels clicking along the floor make both of them pause, they both turn only to be faced with the woman in question.  
"Sorry." Helena breaths as she stops "Am I interrupting something?"

* * *

After her lunch with Buffy Willow makes her way down the stairs towards the Foundry.

As she opens the door and begins to walk down the stairs she hears Oliver "I haven't been able to locate the safe house where the FBI is keeping your father."

Willow grins at the idea of hacking into the FBI she hadn't done that in a while, and by a while she meant like two days but still, that was like a lifetime in a hacker's life.

Turning the corner she freezes slightly at the sight of Diggle and Oliver standing opposite an unfamiliar raven haired woman "I can help with that." She says drawing the three's attention "I haven't hacked into the FBI database since Buffy got in some trouble last year..." She winces at the memory of the man hunt the FBI had done for Buffy when she was a mercenary.

Oliver instantly turns to her, panic spreading through his face "Get out. Get out." He yells while Helena stares at the redhead in confusion "This is a private thing, Willow."

Diggle sighs before slowly approaching the Redhead "Will go home. I'm sure Buffy's waiting for you." He says as he faces her his eyes gesturing to Helena.  
Willow gulps slightly, Dig had told her Helena was back but she hadn't expected to see her here.

"Ok." She breaths before making her way out, texting Buffy to let her know that Oliver was working with Helena.

* * *

Five Years Ago – Boston

 _"_ _So Angel is missing...Wesley's soul is enslaved to Wolfram and Hart...and you have been tempted to kill your boss?"_ Willow sums up after Buffy had finished filling her in on all the drama that had happened over her past few months in Boston.

Buffy chuckles as she hears it out loud, trouble always seemed to find her no matter what life she tried to build for herself; the supernatural always seemed to track her down.

"Pretty much."

* * *

Present Day – Starling City

After her lunch with Willow, Buffy makes her way towards the hospital just wanting to get started on her long shift, she needed a distraction right about now and sewing up wounds and helping people was the best way to settle her anger issues.

"Hey pretty lady." A familiar voice says causing the blonde to grin happily, the anger slowly melting away as a strong familiar arm wraps around her waist turning her to face those beautiful eyes.  
Buffy smiles at her boyfriend allowing him to kiss her softly on the lips before he watches her with a curious frown "Buff you alright?"

Buffy's smile falters for a split second as the idea of Marcus coming after Dean hit her, she had not meant to begin caring about him but somehow he was pushing at walls she had built a long time ago.

Forcing a smile back on her face she leans forehead and kisses him softly, when she pulls back she smiles teasingly "Totally of the okay."

Dean chuckles before throwing an arm over her shoulder and beginning to lead her towards the cafeteria.

Buffy smiles slightly, for the first time in a long time despite everything going on with Wolfram and Hart and Marcus threatening her family, she actually felt happy. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to not have a cloud of guilt, regret and grieve eating at her every second of everyday.

As Dean goes to grab their coffee Buffy grabs their normal table, due to both of them having such hectic schedules it was harder for them to date like a normal couple, so they tended to grab coffee or dinner when they were both at the hospital, and majority of the time, that lead to them both running off the sleeping quarters for something other than sleeping.

She smiles slightly before the thought of Marcus and his threat against her friends and Felicity began plaguing her thoughts again.

Suddenly the sound of her phone ringing draws her attention, sighing the blonde grabs her phone answering it quickly before Dean saw. Due to their limited time together they always agreed not to take phone calls on their lunch dates.  
"Hello?"  
 _"_ _Hello Miss Summers..."_

At Marcus' familiar voice Buffy tenses up, her fist clenching and shaking slightly.

 _"_ _I wouldn't make any sudden movements if I were you Miss Summers so that blade in your pocket best be left alone."_

At his words, Buffy's eyes widen, how did he know she had the blade on her and where it was?  
She looks down at where her shaky hand was now hovering over her pocket where the blade was. As she stares everything clicks, he was here or he had someone here watching her.

Swinging her head around the room she tries to remain calm as her eyes scan over everyone looking for any sign of Marcus.

Marcus chuckles as her failed attempt, the sound vibrating through the phone _"Buffy, we have demons everywhere do you really think we wouldn't have one in the hospital you work at. Watching you, seeing who you speak to, who you..."_ he pauses as though trying to find the words _"Open up to."_

Buffy's eyes widen in panic and her eyes fly to Dean who was stood by the counter his blue scrubs slightly ruffled from the long shift he had just worked.

Her lip quivers as she realises that Marcus was threatening him, all because of her, because she had let her guard down, because she had let him in.

 _"_ _That's right."_ Marcus teases _"Your doctor boyfriend...you really do have a thing for blonde doctors don't you."_

At his words Buffy clenches her jaw imagining all the ways she was going to kill him when she got ahold of him _"Does he know? About you about all the dangers being with you put him in?"  
_ "I swear to God Marcus if you touch him—"  
 _"_ _Listen to me Miss Summers, stay away from our plans. We've already threatened the redhead don't make us start taking out your people one by one."_

* * *

Oliver sighs as he approaches Helena, so much had happened in such a short period of time, after trying and failing to get the transport van with her father on it, Oliver had had to get her out of jail after she had been caught.

He clenches his jaw as he stares down at his ex, luckily for him she hadn't revealed his identity to Lance but he wasn't quite sure why.

"Thanks for the save." Helena tells him as she stand opposite him still in her Huntress suit.  
Oliver clenches his jaw "I couldn't risk you telling the police about me."

Helena's eyes fill with hurt at his words, but he didn't believe it for a second, it was all apart of her act "Is that the only reason?" When he doesn't reply her face falls "Why can't you just admit that you still have feelings for me, too?"

At her question Oliver pauses and for the briefest moment another strong woman crosses his mind, the Woman in Red. He sighs forcing thoughts out of his mind as he reaches into his suit and pulls out an envelope.

At the sight of it Helena rolls her eyes "What is that?"  
"A plane ticket to Rome." He tells her refusing to look her in the eye as he speaks "And a new passport so you can start a new life somewhere else. The police know you're tracking your father, Helena. You'll never find him. So get out of my city."

* * *

A few hours after her strange encounter with Oliver, Dig and Helena, Willow sits at her desk at Queen Consolidated. She looks over at Felicity's desk and sighs, Felicity had been spending so much time with Buffy that Xander had started claiming that Miss Smoke was his personal IT so that her boss didn't freak out.  
But that meant Willow was often left alone being the only one with a brain in this whole department.

Groaning as she hits Buffy's voicemail again she sighs and hangs up, glancing at her watch she couldn't help but groan Buffy must be on a job.

Spinning in her chair for a moment she turns back to the computer screen only for her eyes to widen at what pops up onto the screen.

Grabbing her phone she stumbles slightly it slipping out of her grasp causing her to growl in annoyance as she picks it clumsily off the ground before dialling Oliver's number.  
When she reaches his voicemail she couldn't help but roll her eyes, what was the point of cell phones if no one answered calls.

"Oliver, as I am alone in my office I get bored which means I have free time to do things like...intercept police reports. Like locals thefts. Including one that happened like ten minutes ago. Let me break it down for you, high powered crossbow, that sound like anybody you know?"

Willow sighs and she moves to grab her bag, she was done waiting around. As she turns however, she freezes at the sight of the Huntress grinning evilly at her, Willow's eyes widen her hand clutching onto the phone which she had still yet to hang up  
"Hi. I don't think we had a chance to be properly introduced this morning."

* * *

"I'm putting him in danger Xander." Buffy tells Xander as they speak over the phone.

Moving out of the way as her patient is rushed into the ER she sighs for a moment before looking over as Dean rushes over to the guy she had brought in and begins rushing him to surgery.

 _"_ _Buffy this isn't your fault."_

Buffy smiles sadly "Thanks Xand but yes it is. I..I let him into my life and now he is being threatened...I can't lead another man I care about to his death."  
Buffy takes a heavy breath and leans her head against the wall for second before she spots Stewart getting their van ready so they could go on another job.

Taking a small moment Buffy closes her eyes "I care about him too much to let him get involved in all of this Xander."  
 _"_ _So what are you gonna do?"_

Buffy freezes contemplating the question for a second before an incoming call from her cousin makes her pause "Xand, Liz is calling me, I'll call you back."  
Buffy hangs up on her best friend before accepting the call from Felicity "Hey Liz..."

 _"_ _Buffy something happened..."_

* * *

"Willow!" Buffy screams as she rushes into the IT department still in her work uniform, the minute Felicity had told her what she had seen on the security camera in Willow's office Buffy had taken off, completely ignoring Stewarts calls.

Rushing towards Willow's office Buffy hears movement inside, leaping up she grabs onto the doorframe and swings herself forward her feet connecting with a hard chest.

Leaping down she watches as the figure falls to the ground with a grunt before she raises her fist prepared to defend her best friend only for someone screaming her name to make her pause.

"Buffy!"

Buffy spins around only to come face to face with Diggle, she sighs in relief before turning towards Oliver who it seems she had just pummelled.

"Oliver." She whispers in panic before running over and bending down beside him checking to make sure she hadn't hurt him too badly.

Oliver winces slightly, the pain in his chest feeling more like a ton of bricks having hit him in the chest than the five foot four blonde.  
He sits there on the floor for a moment trying to catch his breath when Buffy appears in his line of vision.  
She crouches down in front of him cupping his cheek in her palm as she examines him making sure he was okay.

Oliver couldn't help but stare at the stunning woman in front of him, she had panic in her eyes most probably from finding out about what Helena had done to her best friend.

Catching her eye he holds her gaze and in that moment and unsettling feeling stirs in his stomach, one he didn't understand, all he knew was that he liked her touch and that he didn't want her to let him go.

Buffy on the other hand was feeling very different in this moment she was just hoping that she hadn't seriously hurt the guy who had been helping Willow and Diggle.

When she realises that she hadn't caused any serious damage to him she lets go of him and mumbles a quick sorry before her head spins around to face the source of her panic.  
Willow was sat in her chair, her straight red hair now muffled and messy and there was bruising around her wrists.

"Will." She breaths before running over to her best friend and cupping her face in her hands "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"  
Willow who had tears in her eyes shakes her head and takes Buffy's hand in her own "I'm okay Buffy, I promise."

Buffy sighs before running a hand through her hair, which was now hanging in a lose ponytail around her.

The blonde sighs before turning to Diggle and Oliver "What the hell happened? The security blacked out all we got was sound."  
Oliver clenches his jaw before turning to glance at Diggle who was watching Buffy and Willow with a worried frown "Helena."

At his words Buffy clenches her fist and arches a brow at the vigilante "Your psycho ex did this?" When Oliver doesn't answer Buffy makes a move towards the door "That bitch is dead."  
Oliver quickly moves to block the murderous Slayer's path "You're not gonna do anything."

At his words Buffy scoffs, if he really thought he could order her around he had another thing coming "You gonna stop me?" She challenges stepping into his personal space "She hurt Willow end of story. Now get out of my way Oliver."

The two stand there facing off chest to chest keeping their eyes locked as they both challenged each other.

"Buffy please." Willow's small voice asks causing emotion to flood the blonde's eyes, she immediately breaks eye contact with Oliver and moves her to her best friend hugging her tightly.

After a long moment the two separate, as they do Willow looks in between Oliver and Diggle "She wanted the address of the safe house where her father's being kept. She made me hack the FBI database. I'm sorry guys."  
"It's not your fault." Oliver and Buffy say at the same time before Oliver makes a move towards the door.

"Oliver what are you gonna do?" Diggle asks while Buffy continues to keep ahold of her best friend.  
Oliver pauses and turns back to the group "What I should have done in the first place."

At that he leaves the room while Diggle turns to Buffy "I take it you're gonna need a change of clothes?"  
"I owe the purple power puff girl a black eye." Buffy says causing Diggle to sigh as he gestures for both women to follow him.

As they move Buffy turns to Willow who was frozen "What is it?"

Willow takes a shaky breath before looking up at Buffy with tears in her eyes "She could have killed me Buffy. I'm no use to you or anyone like this."  
Buffy's eyes widen and she places a hand on Willow's shoulders "Hey look at me. It doesn't matter..."

"Buffy without my magic I can't help you, I can't help anyone. I should have never done that spell."

"Willow listen to me with or without magic you are the strongest person I know. You can survive anything. You're my heart Will, you and Xand."


	25. The Huntress Returns - Part 4

As Oliver pulls back a bow aimed right at Helena's heart she raises the shotgun in her hand prepared to take him out.  
She almost laughs at the look of him threatening her, he wouldn't kill her, "You won't shoot me. You're not a murderer, remember?"

"But you are." Oliver reminds her as they continue to stand outside the safe house her father had been hiding out at, he knew he needed to end this the police would be here soon and he couldn't let Helena kill anyone else "And if I let you go, that blood will be on my hands. I'm sorry."

Releasing the arrow he freezes as instead of killing her she catches the arrow in her palm before grinning at him.  
He would say one thing...

...he hadn't expected that.

* * *

Buffy climbs in through the window at the safe house her feet landing silently before she sprints towards the hallway.  
She was in full Slayer mode now, her suit fiery red, her hair in a long braid down her back with the scythe in her grasp.

Pausing in the hallway her eyes widen at the holes in the walls, Helena had been shooting the place up.

Clenching her jaw Buffy glances out the window to her left and spots Helena and Oliver clad in leather struggling against each other, as they rolled across the floor.

Sighing in annoyance she runs forward diving head first out of the window, the glass shattering around her.

As she lands on the grass she runs forward just as Helena wraps an arm around Oliver's neck; Buffy flips through the air landing behind the purple clad woman.  
Grabbing her by the back of the neck she throws Helena backwards causing her to go crashing against a tree.

Oliver's eyes widen as he spots another figure in the darkness, all he could see was the glint of red from her weapon.  
How the hell she always found him was beyond him.

Buffy glances at Oliver before turning her back on him, turning to Helena who attempts to hit her, Buffy catches her fist and twists it violently.

As Helena cries out Buffy yanks her forward and forces Helena down to the ground, while she kept a tight hold on the raven haired woman's arm, threatening to yank it from it's socket.

"How many times am I going to have to kick your ass back to skank town?" Buffy hisses out before she twirls the scythe and launches it at Oliver causing it to pin his sleeve to a nearby wall so he couldn't stop her.  
"You went after someone I care about and I'm not the forgiving type. I'm more like Gandhi."  
"Gandhi?" Helena crocks out as she reaches for the gun she had hidden.

Buffy smirks "Yeah he was pissed off too." She informs the other woman before giving her arm a final yank completely separating her arm from it's socket, causing her to cry out in agony.

As she does Buffy kicks her in the back knocking her down before she steps back and takes a shaky breath.

Sighing in relief as she stares down at the crying Helena, Buffy turns her back on her before running towards Oliver, before he could even get a good look at her she steps onto his knee and grabs the scythe.

Using the momentum she pushes herself off him so that she could reach the window above him and pull herself through it, out of sight.

Oliver continues to stare in shock as his saviour again disappears without a trace, he really needed to put a bell on her or something.  
Sighing he looks over at the crying Helena who was clutching her damaged arm, moving over to her he aims his bow at her prepared to end it "It's over Helena."

Helena glares up at him however her attention was quickly drawn to McKenna who runs at of the house, her gun aimed at the Hood having no idea that he was actually her boyfriend. "Freeze. Put it down. Turn around. Slowly."

Oliver tenses up at her voice but does as she says he couldn't risk her getting hurt, however his worst fears seem to come alive as Helena grabs her gun with her good hand and shoots at Helena.

"Nooo!" Oliver screams as he runs over to the blood covered McKenna while Helena runs.

* * *

 _"So you know the Hood?"_ Felicity questions Buffy as the blonde Vampire Slayer moves across the rooftops after managing to quickly evade being seen by the cops as they speed towards the safe house.

"Yep." Buffy answers as she comes to a stop on a roof where her rucksack was resting, she had to be back at work for the nightshift in an hour and she couldn't risk anyone seeing her in this get up.

 _"Oh. We know the Hood. Why did I not know we knew the Hood?"_ Felicity almost screeches making Buffy wince slightly due to the loudness. Her cousin definitely had a pair of pipes on her.  
"Because the last time we met I threw him off a roof...it was very cartoony." Buffy answers simply as she pulls her mask down and begins pulling her uniform on.

 _"What?!"  
_ Buffy groans "Liz!"  
But her cousin doesn't seem to notice her words _"You can't just go around throwing people off of rooftops, that's illegal, right? Oh yeah it is!"_

Buffy shrugs she wasn't seeing a problem here, she was sure Oliver got a kick out of it "A lot of things I do are illegal."  
 _"Not the point."_

Before Buffy can say anything else she hears a creak behind her, turning her head she instantly finds herself kicked in the face and landing on the other side of the roof.

As she looks up weakly she spots Marcus moving towards her while her cousin's screams filled her ear.  
She tries to speak but her head was foggy and suddenly a foot connects with her face again, this time causing her to smash her head against the concrete knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Buffy winces as she finally comes back to consciousness, blinking slightly she brings her hand to forehead only to wince at the movement.

Lowering her hand her eyes widen at the blood now all over her fingertips, groaning in pain she wobbly attempts to stand only to find herself chained to the floor.  
Her eyes widen in panic and her breathing quickens, this couldn't be happening, she pulls violently at the chains but they weren't even budging at her movement.

"Wouldn't bother." Marcus says from behind her as he walks into the room, which Buffy was now examining.  
It was an empty warehouse most probably one of the many abandoned ones that could be found in the Glades.

"They're spelled."

Buffy lets out a small laugh, this couldn't be happening right now, it was almost funny.

Turning her head to glare at him she spits out the blood from her mouth before speaking "So what now?"  
"You haven't been taking our threats seriously." Marcus tells her playfully as he circles around the blonde before clicking his fingers "So I've been told to give you a demonstration."

Buffy frowns in confusion before her eyes widen as she spots Dean being dragged in by two men in suits.

"Get the hell off me or I swear to God I'll shove my—" Dean is cut off as one of the men punches him in the face knocking him down to the ground.

"Noo!" Buffy cries as she pulls at her chains causing Dean to turn his head towards her in confusion, his eyes widen slightly as he spots the blood on her face and the chains around her wrists "Buffy?"  
Buffy takes a shaky breath as tears begin falling down her face, this was all her fault "Dean...I'm so—sorry...this is all my fault."

Dean frowns in confusion and attempts to move towards her only for Marcus to press a foot on her throat slamming her back to the ground.

"Buffy!" Dean exclaims as he tries to get to her only for the two guards to grab him and forcibly hold him back as Marcus continues to press on Buffy's windpipe.  
"Get off her!" Dean yells as he struggles against the men while Buffy coughs violently, desperately clawing for breath.

In that moment a thought came to her, the sweet sensation of death, a part of her wanted it again, to die again to go back to that warm place. Willow's magic was gone, they wouldn't be able to bring her back this time.

But just as the thought occurs it quickly vanishes as she thinks of her friends, of Dig and Felicity all the people she would be leaving behind.

Slowly Marcus releases her before yanking on her chains pulling her to her knees before forcing her head towards Dean who was watching him angrily.|  
"Your boyfriend's got a good right hook."

"Come try the left!" Dean yells out as he continue to struggle to get to the woman he loved, despite the fact he hadn't admitted it to her yet, he did love her.

Buffy growls slightly as Marcus cups her cheek "Stay away from us." He tells her before nodding at his men who immediately start kicking and punching Dean.

Buffy's eyes widen as blood begins flying out of Dean's mouth before he crashes painfully to the ground "Nooooo!"

* * *

"I'm moving to Coast City to live with my sister. They have the best physical therapy facility in the country there." At his injured girlfriend's words Oliver freezes, slouching back in the hospital chair as he takes in her words.

Oliver pauses attempting to think of what to say, as much as he didn't want to admit it he knew what she was about to do "I'll visit." He tries offering her a small kind smile.

McKenna sighs a looks over at him with a guilty smile, at her expression Oliver continues to try and stop her, he didn't want this relationship to end "I told you, I'm a billionaire. Right? I'll move to Coast City."  
McKenna chuckles slightly "That's very sweet, but your club just opened and your work is here."

"Don't worry about me." He shrugs offering her a small smile as he plays with her fingers in his palm "It's my responsibility to worry about you."

McKenna takes a shaky breath and looks at him with watery eyes as her voice wavers "Just stop, ok? Listen, you know how I feel about you. Please don't make this harder then it already is."

* * *

Oliver takes a long hard breath as he stands outside of McKenna's room, it was over between them and he knew there was no changing that. Hell, he most probably would never see her again.  
Sighing he takes a deep breath and leans his head against the wall for a moment before moving to leave the building, he needed to be alone, his head just wasn't in the right place.

Before he could go find his solitary time however, several doctors come barging through the halls with a tall man in blue scrubs on the table, blood covering his face and blood dripping from his stomach.  
"BP is low!" One of them yells as Oliver steps back allowing them to pass as they rush the man past him, as they do Oliver freezes as he spots the familiar face.

"Dean." He breaths out in confusion recognising Buffy's boyfriend, however before he could question it a yell draws his attention turning his head his whole body goes rigid as standing there at the end of the hall, blood covering half of her body, a large cut on her forehead, dried blood in her hair while blood was dripping from her hands, was Buffy.

All thoughts of his now ex-girlfriend completely fled his mind as he spots the blonde being held up by two of her fellow paramedics.  
His eyes flicker to her as she winces, the blood on her side darkening as blood continued to drip down her side.

Finally after a long moment he forces his feet to move and quickly begins running over to her.

"Stewart I'm fine." Buffy hisses as she clutches her broken bleeding ribs, her eyes not once leaving Dean as he was rolled through the ER.

Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was covered in both her blood and his, the minute Marcus had paid her _'his message'_ they had left her and Dean there.  
Dean had almost bleed out and she wasn't that much better off but she had kept him alive long enough for the ambulance to get there.

Her hands were coated in his blood, both figuratively and literally. This was all her fault, she had been reckless and because of that Dean had gotten hurt.

Taking a shaky breath she pushes Stewart and the other paramedic off her and attempts to move after Dean only to stumble, her legs were weak and she was weak from the blood loss.

She falls into a strong pair of arms and looks up in shock as she stops Oliver now stood in front of her worry filling his eyes as he held her.  
She cries out slightly as he moves his arm around her attempting to keep her upright and he instantly freezes "Are you okay?"

Buffy coughs slightly before nodding "I'm good Hawkeye." She mumbles with a small laugh before looking over at Stewart "I wanna see him."  
"Buffy..." Stewart says softly "He's gonna be in surgery for a while. You need help..."  
Buffy turns to him properly her arm wrapped around Oliver using his body to keep her upright "Stewart please." She begs.

Stewart pauses for a moment before looking in her begging eyes, after a long hesitation he nods "I'll go make sure he's alright. You got her?" He asks turning to Oliver who gives him a brief nod.

Buffy sighs as she watches Stewart and the other medic run after Dean, before she looks up at the worrying blue eyes of Oliver.

"Oliver." She whispers softly before she starts to topple again, Marcus had crushed her leg badly before he had left and she could barely stand.

Oliver's eyes widen as she wobbles again and this time he quickly lifts her into his arms carrying her through the hospital and into a nearby room where he could place her down.

As he places her down on the hospital bed he faces her and pushes the hair out of her face so that he could see her blood covered face, she looked traumatised "Hey what happened?" He asks softly as he cups her cheek in his hand forcing her look at him "Who did this to you?"

Buffy shakes her head and refuses to look him in the eye, when she doesn't answer Oliver takes her face in his hands again so that he could look her in the eye, his expression now one of anger "Buffy, who the hell did this to you?!"  
Buffy lets out a small laugh she could see it in his eyes, he wanted to hunt down the person who had down this to her, but if he knew the truth they would kill him.

"Hey." He says more softly drawing her attention "These people hurt you, Buffy you have to tell me what happened."

As he stares at her waiting he couldn't stop the different emotions running through him, anger, worry, fury that someone had done this to her. But what he couldn't understand is why she couldn't even except his help.  
"This is all my fault." She whispers out finally making his eyes widen and his mouth drop open slightly, he had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

"I did this." She sobs out softly as she turns her head to look up at him and for the first time he could see exactly how broken she was "Oliver this is my fault."

As she begins sobbing Oliver's eyes widen "Hey, hey..." He whispers softly before doing something so surprising to the both of them and wrapping his arms around her pulling her against his chest as he ran a hand through her messy hair.

Buffy freezes at the contact at first before slowly her hesitant arms wrap around his waist and she continues to sob.

* * *

After her breakdown with Oliver and Dean's doctor refusing to let her see her boyfriend till he was conscious, Oliver had driven Buffy home.

So now hours later here she stood freshly showered, no longer coated in dry blood and mud.

Her hands were still shaking, what had happened had reminded of her of something she had almost forgot, how horrible it felt to watch someone you love be hurt because of you. She had watched too many people she cared about die in front of her eyes but still that feeling was so strong, it never lessoned.

"How you feeling?" Xander asks as he places a cup of coffee in the blonde's hands before sitting opposite her, watching her with a worried frown.

When Buffy doesn't speak Xander frowns in worry and glances over at Felicity who was stood nearby with the exact same look on her face that he had.  
"BB?" Felicity speaks softly as she moves to sit beside Xander both hoping to get the blonde Slayer to open up.

Buffy takes a shaky breath before blinking back tears as she looks up at her best friend and her cousin before running a shaky hand under her chin "I almost forgot." She speaks softly her voice wavering as she does "I was wrong. To think I could have it both ways, it always ends up this way. With blood on my hands. I was wrong to think that this time I could do what I do and still have some aspect of a normal life. With anyone. I'm not normal."

Felicity's eyes widen in horror unlike Xander she wasn't aware of what had happened with Angel and Lincoln and all the loss Buffy had dealt with in the past five years "Buffy you can't know that. You deserve to be happy."

Buffy lets out a small dry laugh, "No I don't. Everyone I've ever been with is dead. Angel, Spike, Riley, Lincoln. They all died because of me."

Xander tilts his head and watches her carefully "Do you love him? Dean?"

Buffy's eyes widen as the idea that she might love Dean hit her, but as quickly as the thought entered her brain she shook her head, she couldn't love him "I can't...Xander it doesn't matter how I feel, I can't be with him...I can't be with anyone...one girl in all the world...she alone..." Buffy pauses as she remembers back to the original description she had been given when she had become the Slayer "I wanted so desperately to believe the alone part wasn't the case for me but look at my track record...Angel, Riley, Spike, Lincoln all men I have loved who have died and Dean almost died tonight. I bring nothing but death to any man I love. I need to be alone."

* * *

Diggle's eyes widen as he spots Oliver walk into The Foundry dried blood covering his grey T-Shirt he moves over to help his friend but Oliver shakes his head.  
Diggle frowns in confusion and glances at Willow who was equally as confused.

Oliver takes a nervous breath and looks at the two of them a little unsure of how to explain to the two of them what condition he had found Buffy in "It's not my blood...it's Buffy's and Dean's."

As the words leave his lips Diggle instantly stands and makes his way to the door not even waiting for Oliver to finish as he practically runs out of the building to go to his best friend...his little sister.

Oliver sighs before turning to Willow who was basically about to do the same but he holds out his hand stopping her "Wait Willow...she's okay I got her home. Dean's in the hospital but he'll live."  
Willow sighs she just wanted to go check on her best friend she couldn't understand why Oliver was blocking her path.

Oliver takes a deep breath before looking at the red-head "I know Dig told you about the woman in red. She keeps showing up and saving my life. I wanna meet her in person and I need your help."


End file.
